Bittersweet
by Darthrose
Summary: Confined to a wheelchair,MI-6 agent,May,has never been much of the forgiving type. Always carrying a personal vendetta against the one who took away her freedom... Just how many innocent lives will she take in order to end the one she once loved? BK-201.
1. Chapter 1

"**_How far will she go to obtain her sweet revenge by punishing the one she loves?"_**

**Disclaimer: **This is a HeiXOC story. T for future violence and mild language. Innocent people will die.

**(Edited: May 15th 2010)**

**A/N: **I realized that the first paragraph was an oxymoron and decided to edit it along with some parts of the story to explain the character's relationships with each other a little more.

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**Bittersweet: Prologue:**

_Pain shot through the brunette's body in immense waves, running down her spine causing her to gasp in agony as her figure contorted in the most excruciating forms imaginable. When it continued to increase, her screams grew silent even though her mouth continued to gape open like a fishes'. How she would have loved to scream bloody murder, to release some of the fiery pain which was building up inside of her. But she knew that it was pointless to even try and call for help. In fact, if she were to scream, she would most probably call for unwanted attention. So, she bit down on her lower lip drawing blood. She was nearing the brink of death and she knew that all too well. _

_The feeling of death grasping its cold, unforgiving hands around her heart; the feeling of a Contractor wringing her surprisingly strong hands around the brunette's slender neck sending waves and waves of electricity down her spine. Even if she were to survive this brutal attack, she would most certainly come out half dead or worse._

_There have been a couple times when she had almost been killed on the battlefield, but none of those times had left her feeling as helpless as this. _

_Suddenly a familiar voice cried out, cutting through the cold night's air. _

"_Bai! Stop!" _

_The torture didn't end immediately, but finally the cold, calculating Contractor released her grasp on the girl's neck, letting the brunette crumple to the floor, gasping for the cold night air. It felt so dry compared to the air back in Japan. But this was not the time to reminisce about her homeland now. What mattered was to get out of her predicament as soon as possible. _

_Now, if only she could reach out for her weapon... Too bad it was embedded in the body of another contractor whose body was pinned against a boulder with multiple lacerations to his face, neck and body. If only she hadn't spent her time finishing him off to satisfy her remuneration._

_The thought caused the brunette to shape her fists into two tight balls of anger getting ready to begin her Contract which was a danger to her enemies, allies and herself. But before she could do any more than that, the heel of another Contractor's foot dug into the back of her hand causing her to wince and release her grip. She silently cursed the two females who hovered above her, wishing that there was only one of them and not two to finish off. But even if there was only one of them, she knew she could not defeat them. She was not as quick as Bai or as cunning as Amber. No, it would take her a lot longer to reach them on their pedestal. The truth was hard and painful, but the truth nonetheless._

"_What's going on with you guys? We're supposed to be fighting the enemy! Not each other!" the boy cried out again. This time he was much louder even though he was only a few feet away from the paused fight. _

_Bai, one of the most revered Contractors in the Syndicate thanks to her very Contractor-like abilities and her non-Contractor-like abilities, curved her lips into what seemed like a smile before speaking to the boy known as her brother. "You don't understand, brother; our dear friend here _is _the enemy," she said as she approached him with that fake smile. _

_When she used that term of endearment, why did she sound so distant? So detached from everyone and everything? She seemed so comfortable in stating that their childhood friend was a traitor without a second thought of the times they had spent together. But then again, she was a Contractor, a heartless being incapable of grasping human emotions such love and camaraderie. It was only to be expected._

"_I… I don't understand! Sumi would never-" the raven haired boy, barely in his teens, was cut off by his younger sister in his desperate plea to set things right. _

_"Hei." _

_His codename alone was enough to shut the boy up. He didn't like it when his sister called him by that. His fake name uttered by his enemies. His name which meant death to those he was sent out to hunt. _

_In a calm voice, Bai continued to speak once she knew that she had his undivided attention. "Sumi here is a spy working for the government in eradicating Contractors like Amber and I," she spoke in a cool voice, sure in keeping Hei excluded from the ring of Contractors. It was almost as if she were implying that he was the outsider in their world; which was rather true._

_A growl rose in Sumi's throat, but Amber was quick to press her foot against the base of the brunette's neck; a silent threat that if she were to say anything, the time traveler would break her neck. So, the brunette remained silent as her penetrating glares bounced feebly off Bai's back, trying to plan a way out of this predicament without endangering herself, or the boy. _

_There was no way that he'd believe she was a spy. They'd known each other long enough to actually trust. Close enough for a Contractor to trust a human and vice versa. They were like family and she knew that she cared for him much more than his 'sister' ever could. It just wasn't in BK-201's programming, unlike her._

_Sumi and he had known each other ever since he had first joined the Syndicate with his younger sister. She had been the very first friend who had been there for him in this world filled with lies and secrecy. Sure she was a Contractor and all, but she wasn't always like that. She _used_ to be nice. She _used_ to be kind. She _used_ to be human. But that was all she _used_ to be. Now she was one of _them_. _

_She wasn't as human as she once was._

_She could never return to the sweet little girl he had known her to be._

_She wasn't the same anymore, and Hei knew that full well._

_Hei's lower lip trembled before parting as he took in a shaky breath. Exhaling slowly, he spoke in a dead voice, "Sumi…you…us...Was everything just a lie…?" _

_The strained he used to control his emotions was agonizing to watch. Although his face betrayed no feelings, his body language spoke otherwise. His muscles were tense and his form, rigid as he clenched his gloved hands. Looking into his eyes, the Black Reaper was comparable to a man burning at the stake._

_The girl who remained on her front felt her heart stop and her eyes widened in shock. Her lips parted, but no words could escape them. She bit her lower lip out of disbelief and frustration when she was unable to put her feelings into words; feelings which had been alien to her until now. She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her lungs and that she would never recover. Her heart seemed to experience the strange sensation of being shredded into countless pieces that once broken, would surely never mend. It was just like that. _

_In less than a minute did Hei believe the words of his sister. It was unbelievable. She loved him and now, he was starting to doubt her. Before she was a Contractor, she had loved; she had once known the feeling. And now, she could feel the backlash of that hideous hormone caused feeling called love. If she weren't a Contractor, she was sure she would have cried there and then._

_Her silence was followed by his. Their gazes locked for only a second before he averted his pained, midnight blue eyes from hers. And in that one second, Sumi saw something in those eyes that she never wished to see in him. _

_The eyes of a Contractor...  
The eyes of a killer... _

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A stifled gasp escaped the lips of a slender young woman as she jolted from her sleep. Her light blue eyes quickly scanned the world around her, taking in every single detail. From the flowerless cherry blossom tree which she sat under, to the emerald green grass that swayed in the breeze. The top of the hill which she sat gave her a perfect view of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building, but more important, her surrounding gave her the unchallengeable view of the midnight sky.

After taking in her environment to make sure that there were no threats in sight, the nineteen year old leaned forward as she let out a sigh of relief, clutching a faintly trembling hand over the spot where her heart was supposed to be.

'_It's been a long time since I've had that dream…'_

She had to take in a couple breaths of the relaxing night air before she calmed down enough to turn her attention to the sleeping figure beside her, lying so still in the grass beside her. Just like a little doll. She reached out to touch his golden locks, but was unable to stretch her arms that far for her movements were restricted to her wheelchair.

After being brought back to the real world, her world, she couldn't help but utter a soft curse. She felt like a caged bird on the doorsteps to freedom; freedom which could only be found through revenge; revenge against the person who had confined her to the fate in this chair on wheels. But more importantly, the person who had let it all happen. She felt so close that she could almost taste it; yet so far that it was almost an unbearable pain in her side. Her feelings were always bittersweet whenever she remembered her past.

A soft touch against her curled blond hair caused the girl to snap out of her thoughts. Snapping her head to the side, her body tensed even more when she identified the man beside her.

'_November 11.'_

Not wanting to let the surprise show on her face, she let her facial expression return to their usual, deadpan stare. Surprise and anxiety was ill befitting of a Contractor such as herself.

At the corner of her eye, a single star streaked across the sky as it slowly fell towards the earth. So majestic, so beautiful, so fake. Looks like another Contractor had died that night, like many nights before then. Whether he or she had died from natural causes or had been murdered did not matter. All that mattered was the fact that another Contractor, other than Hei, had died.

"What do you want…?" she questioned in a bored tone, tilting her head skyward to gaze at the stars as the British man began to talk.

"I was just sent to get you back to HQ, May," November 11 addressed the blond by her MI-6 code name as he glanced at the night sky. At first, her alias with MI-6, would cause her to cringe slightly in disgust. But after five years of being called that, she had become so used to that name that she was now numb to it.

The blond British man then continued to speak knowing full well that that had gotten her attention despite the fact that she was acting uninterested, "And, if you want to star gaze, all you have to do is come to my place. My penthouse has a great view." His offer obviously having much deeper intentions than just that, and obviously weren't too appropriate. Plus, this wasn't the first time he had invited her to his house, and this wasn't the first time she was going to decline his offer.

Shaking her head curtly, May declined the 'generous' proposition without a word causing November 11 to let out a soft laugh which seemed slightly pained.

Dislodging his slightly crushed foot from under one of her wheels, he winced slightly thinking of the many times he had suffered punishment from her wheelchair. He had half a mind to replace that thing with one of the many hover chairs; even though they were still in testing. But there was no way that May would agree in using a prototype. After all, the girl had expressed her disapproval with hovering chairs in the first place.

Turning his attention to the little boy who had awoken to the sound of their voices, November 11 smiled at the sleepy little boy. In a kind voice the man spoke to him as if he were speaking to _just _a little boy.

"Time to go back, July."

Bobbing his head up and down a couple times, July got to his feet, dusting the dirt from his bottom in the process. Placing one of his small porcelain hands on one of May's slightly larger hands; he followed her closely as November 11 wheeled her back to HQ while keeping pace with the girl and her escort. Although his expression was empty, the gesture held a certain amount of emotion in it.

Shooting one last glance at a certain star which hung overhead in the midnight sky, the blond couldn't help but exhale softly as she began to lose herself in her train of thought. '_Looks like there's no change in your star tonight… Hei… So stay alive till we meet again….'_ Tearing her intense gaze from the single star amongst all others, she let it turn to the road which led to HQ.

Slowly, her stoic appearance transformed into an unreadable, hard, expression filled with despise as her thoughts continued.

_'I want to kill you myself…'_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Right now I'm still introducing the characters, but Hei is injected in this chapter a little. Don't worry; he'll be appearing more and more in future chapters. =)

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**Chapter 2: **

Birds chirped in the background as they flitted freely from tree to tree, some landed on telephone wires and continued their songs. The early morning sun rose above the distant mountains, sending its rays bouncing off the early morning dew which hung on emerald green grass, causing them to sparkle like gems in the light. Grasshoppers hopped from one blade of grass to another while dragonflies zipped through the air with lightning speed. Chasing after them were little brown birds, hungry for a bite of crunchy deliciousness. After snapping up the bug in its beak, the bird would chirp blissfully before searching for another.

The sounds of children's laughter could be heard distinctly over all the other noises, coupled with the sounds of their little feet running across the hard paved ground and out of tune nursery rhymes. Kids swung back and forth on swings as a competitive sport to see which could make a whole circle around the thing; more like competing to see who will fly off first and receive the most broken bones.... The playground surely was a child's wonderland; a place where they can simply create games out of thin air and act as if it were real before they eventually grow up and realize the hard truth about the real world.

Sitting comfortably in her wheelchair while keeping watch over the children under the guise of Shizue Takara, a daycare teacher, May made sure that none of the children ran off elsewhere to be kidnapped. Other than the excited chattering of children and stopping the occasional bickering about whose toy is whose, working as a kindergarten teacher was easy. After dealing with the last two children and teaching them that sharing is caring, May was beginning to relax and take a light nap when she heard a sharp piercing cry reverberate throughout the playground blocking out every other noise.

Shooting up from her very comfortable position, May identified the sound to be that of one of her younger students, Seiichi Ichiba. In a hurried pace, she wheeled herself over to where he was, wondering what could have possibly caused him to cry aloud like that. Seiichi was supposed to be one of the tougher boys in her class.

When she arrived, the blond girl realized that Seiichi had merely fallen down and scrapped his hands and knees on the hard pavement. Letting out a sigh of relief, she wheeled herself closer, unhooking a first aid kit from the bottom of her wheelchair in the process. A part of her was glad she was forced to carry the ridiculous thing around every where she went in case of unforeseen injuries. Oh well... No matter how tough they act, children are still children; so fragile and weak, until you break them and rebuild them from scratch; like how she had been. That was her mission at this day care center. Well, it was more like a punishment handed to her for disobeying an order from a superior, but whatever. Either way, she had to find out which children held the most potential to become agents in MI-6; or even better, Contractors. Once they were found at the early stages of their lives, eradicating their existence off the face of the earth while they are still young was easy. No one will notice them after a couple mind wipes were placed. Twice had she found Contractor children and twice did she get the opportunity to hire them into the MI-6 for special training. The children's parents would never see or remember that they had ever existed.

As May thought of those times, she set her body into autopilot mode, cleaning and bandaging the little boy's wounds with a warm and inviting demeanor. She couldn't help but note the shocking resemblance between him and July every time she looked at him. From his blond curls, his cute-in-every-way face, his pale complexion and his crystal blue colored eyes. The boy was only a few years younger than July with only a few differences such as height difference and personality traits. But still, he was a splitting image of July. If her July were human, she was pretty sure this was how he would have been. An adorable little boy.

"Takara-san?" Seiichi said, almost as a question as his teacher placed the final bandage on his knee, kissing it gently so that the pain would go away faster as she called it. "Yes?" she smiled kindly at the seven year old boy who blushed a light shade of pink.

Stuttering out of embarrassment he said, "I-I was just wondering why you're always wearing that." As he spoke he pointed at the small, tear shaped gem which hung around her neck on a fine silver chain. It glinted gently in the sunlight, showing off its dazzling array of colors ranging from the deepest blue to the lightest of purples as she instinctively toyed with it in her fingers. The precious stone was no bigger than her thumb.

May raised an eyebrow slightly, a little surprised by his question, but covered it up with another one of her smiles which she had perfected over the years of undercover missions. She pretended to ponder about the question for a few seconds before responding in a simple manner, "This… it's just a small reminder of my past and what I must do for my future."

The boy fell silent as he thought hard, wondering what she had meant by that. His eyebrows knitted together, but just as they did so, May gently smoothened out his features by running a soft hand over the boy's creased forehead. This action startled him, causing a blush to tint his apple red cheeks."Don't think about it too much, okay Seiichi-kun?" the daycare teacher requested in an endearing tone as she helped him to his feet. The way she uttered his name was so soft, so kind that he could not protest in any way.

"O-okay Takara-san."

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Light filtered gently through the leaves which clung to its branches, draping gently over the moss stained bark of its tree. The vibrant green grass swayed to the left as a light breeze passed overhead. Standing under the shade which spread out like an oversized umbrella, was a light skinned boy with wavy blond hair and emotionless eyes which were like pools of clear water. Beside him stood a much taller man also with curled blond hair and light blue eyes, except that he was clad in a pure white suit while the little boy wore a plain white buttoned down shirt, a pair of suspenders and a red hat.

The taller one chuckled softly before speaking aloud, "That May is really good at her job. I don't think I'd be able to put up with a classroom of diapers and screaming babies all day." July remained silent as November 11 spoke. He didn't move a single muscle in his body and stayed as still as a living statue. November noticed that July was much quieter than usual and decided to tease him a little. "Are you jealous that May is spending more time with those kids than you?"

And just as November had expected, his comment was met with silence.

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"What's the mission?" spoke an emotionally detached voice which came from behind a pure white mask. Clad in full black, the man, nearly five feet ten inches tall, easily blended into his dark background in a deserted alleyway which was easily hidden from the public view. Although it was in the early breaks of dawn, the buildings that towered overhead cast a dark shadow in the alleyway.

A grunt coming from a rather short and pudgy man on the opposite side of the alleyway could be heard. The man wore a plain brown beret which matched the color of his slightly muddy coat. His hair stuck out messily from under his cap showing that he cared nothing for appearances sake. After taking a puff from one of his infinite stash of cigarettes, he spoke in a rough, grating voice which fit perfectly with his appearance. "You are to retrieve this," he said as he handed his subordinate a picture.

"A girl…?" the raven haired man questioned with uncertainty in his voice, a small amount of confusion lingered as his eyes scanned the picture several more times. The girl was rather beautiful and fair skinned, that was sure. From her long, golden locks, to her ocean blue eyes and finally her enrapturing pearly white smile which lit up her features beautifully which caused her eyes to sparkle in the lighting. And that was just a photograph. He couldn't help but wonder how she looked like in person. The wheelchair she was in was a minor setback in her usefulness, which caused the masked man to wonder why the Syndicate wanted her.

That was, until he finally tore his gaze away from her delightful features and landed on her neckline. What he saw caused his eyes to widen and his lips to tremble behind his bone white mask. Although what he felt was clearly shock and horror, it did not show in his steel like tone. "A synchrotron gem…?" he asked, even though it sounded more like a statement. Even though it looked only like a chip off the larger synchrotron stone which was situated in the middle of Heaven's Gate, now wiped off the face of the map, it was still a piece of it anyway. But how could she have gotten it in the first place?

The shorter man took another puff at his cigarette before dropping the stub onto the paved ground and grinding it with the bottom of his shoe. Nodding his head he merely stated, "Get that gem before anyone else gets to it first."

Sensing the confusion in the masked man's uncomfortable shifting, the elderly man sighed before speaking in a coarse tone, "We are unsure if she's a Contractor or not, but by the looks of things, she doesn't seem like one of you." The masked man remained silent; his muscles tensed slightly as he wondered what he would have to do to retrieve the gem. He didn't want to kill her if he didn't have to. Without waiting for another question, the field agent spoke, "Most probably she accidentally stumbled upon it after the war at a jewelry store. Who knows if there were other survivors of that war."

The masked man seemed to cringe slightly at the remembrance but soon nodded, pocketing the picture in the folds of his cloak. He didn't need any more reminders of his glory days. Those times were what he wanted to forget the most. Without another word, he turned his back on the rounded field agent and left at a leisurely pace. As he continued to walk, he soon found himself thinking aloud.

"At least I know for certain that _she's_ dead…"

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"Shizue Takara?" a voice called out from behind the daycare teacher, causing her to turn her head to face the person. Behind her stood a rather tall and slender woman with short, cropped hair which had been spiked in an upward motion. Seiichi hid behind his teacher's wheelchair, slightly terrified by the woman who stood in front of them. Although the woman had a friendly demeanor, her ice blue hair and amber eyes were all too strange for the little boy to take in. To add onto that, the woman's skin was as dark as smoothened chocolate, she was a foreigner.

In a calm voice May, currently known as Shizue, smiled gently at the blond, urging him to go and play with his friends in the sandbox.

Once the boy was out of earshot and beyond visual range, May let her charming smile fall into its natural state, a firm frown. The blonde's sapphire blue eyes narrowed on the woman with suspicion written all over her face. Why was April here? The MI-6 had strictly told both she, November 11 and July that they must not meet with her while she was carrying out her mission. They didn't want May to gain suspicion from those around her.

Crossing her arms over her chest, deliberately showing her disdain, the agent spoke in an irritated tone, "This better be good April, or else-" Before May could finish her sentence, April placed one of her slender on the blond girl's lips, silencing her. "November 11 wanted me to pass a message to you," she simply stated.

November? Figures…

Instead of speaking, May kept quiet, letting April continue. "He said, and I quote, 'Tell my dear May that I've found a way to free her'." At first May's eye twitched once when she heard the words, 'my dear May', but once April finished her sentence, the girl who was confined to restricted movements in her wheelchair pushed all other thoughts out of her mind; all but one, and that was, freedom.

May's whole body began to shudder from anticipation; so much so that she could hardly control the half crazed smile that curled onto her lips, lighting her eyes ablaze with fiery emotions incomprehensible for the normal human to feel. Her lips quivered with eagerness while her hands trembled as they gripped her armrests, turning white from the force she was putting on them. She had to bite back the demented laugh that was building up inside of her ready to explode like a bunch of C4 charges in her stomach.

April, who wasn't expecting this kind of reaction from such a simple message, took an involuntary step backwards. A part of her felt the deep rooted fear she held whenever she witnessed May become… excited. This was the second time in all her years of knowing May to have observed her frightening, maniacal form. The first was when she was asked to join MI-6. It was not a pretty sight that time. Back then, May had not bothered to hold back her banshee-like laughter which had been near earsplitting.

Many minutes passed before May was able to calm down enough to somewhat control her twisted facial features. But she was still fighting to reign in her emotions. If one of her students had seen her right now, that child would have cried or stand rooted to the spot in fear, maybe even both. Bending her body forward, not releasing her grip on the now dented armrests, she let her hair fall in front of her face to block others from observing her not so frenzied appearance.

'_Hei… Once I am free from this accursed state… I will hunt you down… and I will kill you…'_

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**A/N: **Wow… I made May sound like a crazy person… She's not really crazy! Just very mentally scarred….umm… Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**_Bittersweet: Chapter 3_**

_by: Crimson Essence_

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**Edited! (May 18th 2010)**

**A/N:** Finally! Chapter 3! Oh and I really regret this, but 'Li' is only introduced in chapter 7 (I've written chapter summaries from chapters 1 to chapter 16. But there will be more) So in the mean time, Hei will be playing a minor role. Gomen!

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**Chapter 3:**

The dark midnight sky was gently illuminated by the soft rays which resonated from the full moon that hung overhead. Clear gems also known as the fake stars were sprayed across the night sky shone like precious stones. The night air was cold and breezed through the leaves which hung to their branches, rustling ever so gently upon contact. Although chilly, it was the perfect night to be out of the enclosed four walled building which towered in the background; the MI-6's base.

The scent of cigarette smoke wafted through the air in its sickly thick, chocking puffs of gray. Following the nauseating stench, was the disgruntle coughs and muttering of a certain blond MI-6 agent who sat on a cement bench, hunched over as if he were ready to gag. Sitting on both sides of him were his fellow teammates, Contractors-in-arms. April, with her chocolate toned skin and over the top, eccentric pink outfit, was happily consuming a can of beer as her remuneration. She obviously had a polar opposite opinion of her contract compared to November 11 of his. Though, no matter how much he despised his compensation, November would never trade his payment process with May. The mere thought of him having to carry out that particular Contract, caused every fiber in his body to tremble in its very core.

But enough of that, the MI-6 Contractors and Doll were enjoying a rare moment to themselves without any missions or meetings to attend to. Just relaxing outside the base at midnight, smoking and drinking beer as friends; or at least as close as Contractors can be.

"Damn cigarettes…" November muttered under his breath as he tried to wash down the bitter taste of the cancer stick with some alcohol. "Hey, at least you're getting better at it," teased April as she took another gulp from her can, letting out a content sigh. She really making fun of him because of his Contract. The blond merely rolled his eyes but said nothing as he turned his attention to the silent members of their team, May and July. As the two elder members of the team had been chatting, the two were simply sitting quietly, trying to enjoy the peace and serenity, or what was left of it. It was just hard to find some time of tranquility with BK-201's latest activities.

The British male's lips parted to speak, but was stopped even before the first letter escaped his lips when a new character decided to appear on scene. Wearing a clean, crisp white lab coat, he was obviously, one of the MI-6's tech boys. Though, this one was rather young to be working at the headquarters; most probably one of the senior's apprentices. The boy, roughly sixteen to seventeen years of age, equipped with a sleek rectangle shaped glasses, ran his slender fingers through his thick, unruly dirty blond hair.

In a plain voice, lacking of most emotions, this human being spoke up, "Do you know that second-hand tobacco smoke contains a larger amount of harmful substances? When inhaled directly, smoke contains 5.3 to 43 nano-grams of carcinogenic nitrosamines compared to 680 to 832 nano-grams when inhaled second-hand…" The teen's voice trailed off when his russet tinted eyes met with November's unfeeling ice blue irises. Although the British male faked the light demeanor, just one look in his callous eyes could easily give a deeper understanding of this particular Contractor. The way he carried himself was simple and aloof, but when he fought, it was obvious that this man was a hardened veteran.

Picking up from where the not-quite-a-man-yet stopped off, November 11 continued on in his usual laid back manner, "The second-hand smoker also inhales eleven times the volume of smoking itself, 18,000 nano-grams in all. So the risk to the surrounding population is far greater than to the smoker itself."

Letting out a soft chuckle November 11 dropped the cigarette to the ground, putting it out with the sole of his shoe in the process. Although subtle, his voice seemed to hold a certain amount of mockery as he spoke, "Yes, yes, I do know about the statistics, little boy. Though, I thought you knew that Contractors such as us…" November gestured to himself, April and May; he was careful not to include July or the teenage boy in their exclusive circle of Contractors before continuing, "…have our _duties_ to fulfill after using our powers. And smoking is my remuneration."

The look that then crossed the seventeen year old boy's face was one of pure shock, his glasses slipping from its place before he quickly pushed it up to hide his expression, apparently using his middle finger in the process as a sign of disrespect. By then, it was obvious he had been completely clueless that MI-6's top agents were Contractors until now. How uninformed was this boy? He's definitely a newbie.

With a slightly strained voice, the blond tech boy spoke up, "I just came to tell May-san that her bionic suit is almost complete. That's all."

April, completely out of the loop, raised an eyebrow in confusion, repeating those two words in the form of a question, letting them grace her lips, "Bionic suit?" She had heard that the MI-6 was working on a 'project', but no one had told her that it was a bionic suit for _May_. If the blond were to use the leap-in-technology suit, not only would her powers be enhanced, but she'll surely be a step closer to her much desired revenge, oops, retribution. Revenge is such a crude word is it not? No matter how true it was.

November 11 didn't speak, for he too had no idea why May would want a bionic suit, well other than vengeance of course. The girl hadn't shown much interest in technology in the first place; sometimes going as far as calling it 'mankind's monstrosity'. On one occasion, she had purposely tossed her cell phone into the sea, simply stating that she hated cell phones. But that could have been because of November's continuous, nonsensical calls every few hours. Still, wasn't her hate for anything technological why she refused November's offer for a hover chair? Because she hated technology, right?

The tech assistant shifted his glasses uneasily, but not because of the presence of three very dangerous Contractors. No, the feeling was far from fear, it was something completely different. It's an emotion that quickens the rate of one's heart in irregular spurts and causes that person's temperature to rise. A strange, unexplainable feeling that differs from human to human that is caused by hormones.

Finally, the boy nodded his head, turning his attention back to May who sat calmly in her midnight blue wheel chair with her hands crossed on her lap, calm and composed. She looked like a priceless china doll, sitting perfectly poised and upright, a small smile now formed on her lips. Her curled golden blond hair flowed past her shoulders in waves, almost seeming to give of a luminous glow. Her sapphire blue eyes specked with light were stunning, even though it held no feeling in them; a completely emotionally detached doll. Like any other Contractor, she seemed to lack a soul.

"If… if it needs any adjustments, please feel free to contact me," he quickly said, covering up his slight embarrassment after realizing he had been staring, again. The boy scolded himself silently for letting his mind wander yet again. He was one of MI-6's scientists-in-training, and he was from the cream of the crop; not some adolescent boy talking to his first crush on a Contractor nonetheless. Finally, the motionless doll began to move. Lifting her gaze to look into his coffee brown eyes, her lips parted into a rare smile as she spoke, "thank you very much, Tetsushi-kun."

The boy, being only a year younger than May, had to avert his gaze to the ground, a feeble attempt to hide the blush which had spread across his face. Adjusting his glasses yet again, Tetsushi mumbled in a weak voice, "Y…you're welcome…" And with that said, the embarrassed teen quickly turned his back and left, his white lab cloak swaying from side to side as he climbed the white stone steps to the doors of HQ.

Once Tetsushi was out of sight, a sly smirk crossed November 11's face which he purposely aimed towards May who simply raised an eyebrow; her lips, returning to its usual straight line which was now bordering on a frown. The blond British MI-6 agent merely shook his head, when it came to human feelings, this girl was clueless. Teaching her would be an impossible task. Maybe time will educate her, maybe.

April who had noticed the little Doll that sat beside her, dozing off ever so slightly during the menial conversations, decided it was time to take the boy home for a good night's sleep. His sky blue eyes drooped ever so slightly, almost unnoticeable, but to April who had known his for the longest time, knew that it was bedtime. Doll or not, a child is still a child. Nudging the boy ever so slightly, April was able to snap him out of his dazed state, whispering to him that it was time to leave. He responded with a simple nod. With a simple good bye and good night, the two were off into the midnight hour, hopefully looking for a cab so that they don't have to walk back in the cold.

Once again, November and May were graced with the company of the other. All was silent and the female of the two was about to leave to catch the second last train headed for home that night. She didn't want to stay over with November for the night, for many obvious reasons. She'd rather sleep in a shoebox than to accept his pity. But she stayed when the said MI-6 agent spoke up.

"Bionic suit huh…?" he muttered, mainly to himself though. Maybe it was because he continued to wonder why May wanted one. The girl was about to speak up, but stopped herself when November continued to speak, "Well, while we're at it, why don't we get you a hover chair?" This suggestion caused the blond to roll her eyes in annoyance. So, it was _this _subject again. Why did he always have to bring it up? Sure a hover chair is more convenient, but less enjoyable. Wait… when did a Contractor put enjoyment over convenience? Was 'enjoyable' even in a Contractor's dictionary?

"Why?" she questioned in her usual, flat sounding voice; her eyes didn't show the slightest hint of annoyance anymore, even though this was not the first time he had suggested a hover chair. The blond figured that shemight as well ignore him the next time he suggested on of those... _things_....

The British MI-6 agent simply shrugged his shoulders before responding with a simple question and answer, "Why not? It's more convenient to move about in."

Well, that was true, even May had admitted that to herself, but still, the only thing she'd give up her wheelchair for were her legs or the bionic suit; either one was a good substitute, but the Contractor still preferred to have some feeling in her legs and not the numbness from her paralyzed legs. Though there were a few discomforts which came with the chair on wheels, it also came with some bonuses.

May's lips had now formed a thin frown as she uncrossed her arms from her chest, "But… If I were to use a hover chair, I wouldn't be able to do certain things..."

This statement caused the blond male to raise an eyebrow in confusion, "Like what?"

"Like this," she responded simply. And with those words said, November could feel his foot being lodged between the hard cement ground and the cold metal wheel which May used to roll over his foot. Evidently, this was the 'bonus' she had been thinking about; crushing his foot.

Is it such a horrible crime for a Contractor to be illogical once in awhile?

November 11 winced, extricating his foot from under her 'monstrosity-of-mankind-wheelchair' as he thought to himself, _'I'm getting you a hover chair… whether it works or not!'_

Wait… if it doesn't work, doesn't it defeat its purpose?

* * *

Sitting casually on one of the many benches which were scattered randomly throughout the train station, Hei waited patiently for the arrival of his prey. He had sent Yin home, where ever that was, after the fruitless searching; better known as the ransacking of Shizue Takara's home. The second last train would be arriving in a couple minutes time, hopefully carrying his target in it. If not, he'd have to stake out her house till morning until she returns. The Black Reaper had spent his morning ransacking her house, inspecting every nook and cranny, leaving no drawer unturned; not even sparing the lingerie drawer. The twenty-one year old was rather surprised to find the girl's home near empty, outfitted with only the barest of necessities, reminding him a great deal of his current residence.

Usually, when he was given a mission to search through a woman's personal belongings, he'd either find a pair of hundred dollar stiletto heels or a designer handbag, sometimes both. The lacking of girlish items caused Hei to wonder about what kind of world she was living, definitely not normal. Why he thought it was abnormal? Well, for one thing, everything was all in perfect order, not a single book, cushion, chair, cup or plate out of place. Everything was too organized and seemed rather sterile too. Mysophobia? Maybe.

When Hei had first arrived, the earth colored curtains had been drawn so tightly shut that not even a sliver of light could slip through. It was almost as if she was trying to hide herself away from the world; as if to veil herself in a world of secrecy. Not only from the orderliness and secrecy, she and her home were lacking a past. Just a single glance at the bare walls, which were lacking any pictures, screamed that fact. For a kindergarten teacher, she seemed to be short of any heartwarming images of her students.

The emptiness, he could brush off. Maybe she was renovating or something. There was always an explanation somewhere or other. The mysteries, he could easily look past the fact that she liked to keep her life hidden. Everyone has their secrets; secrets of their past that they were willing to die to keep, especially him. But what he couldn't look past was the fact that she had none.

It was as if she had suddenly come into existence as a nursery teacher only a couple months ago. She was like a chameleon, blending into the scenery as if she had always been there. She was just like him, in so many ways that it was rather unnerving. The Black Reaper couldn't help but listen to the words which whispered to him, echoing over and over, stating the obvious. That things were not right, something was definitely out of place. Something was definitely wrong.

She was an enigma....

Hei's thoughts didn't get much farther when the final train of the night pulled up, carrying a dozen weary passengers. The ones who were half asleep nudged awake their friends or spouses as the automatic doors slid open. Well, that made things much easier, even if they were to see him as the Black Reaper, 'attack' the defenseless cripple, they might think of him as a dream. Those were Hei's thoughts as he pulled on the bone white mask that had quickly become his trademark.

His eyes quickly scanned through the sleepy humans who dragged themselves forward with slow strides. The masked man cloaked in pure black hid behind the stone pillars which supported the roof of the building, hiding in the gloom as he continued to search for the girl. Finally, his gaze landed on the one thing that stood out from the crowd of Asians. The curly blond hair which was unnatural for any Japanese person to have, but she wore it with silent pride for she knew it suited her well, especially when it was coupled with her hypnotic cerulean eyes.

The Black Reaper remained hidden as he watched her long slender fingers glide over the wheels with ease as she guided herself towards the exit. Hei knew that it was time to strike, or else he'd lose his chance to steal the synchrotron gem which hung around her smooth neck as well as the chance to make a clean escape. And he did not want to get another one of Huang's lectures. Seriously, one of these days, that old man will die from stress and high blood pressure if he doesn't learn to relax, or at least learn to breathe between sentences. Maybe then his speech would be slightly more comprehensible when he was angry, but that was just Hei's opinion.

Pushing his thoughts and conscience to the back of his mind, Hei darted forward towards the blond with mind numbing speed. The Black Reaper had been so quick on his feet that the girl had no chance to defend herself in any way. In fact, she didn't realize that he had been there until he appeared in her line of sight, reaching out to grab the gem which hung around her neckline with a gloved hand.

It took May, under the alias of Shizue Takara, a couple seconds to comprehend the situation when the Black Reaper's masked faced appeared in her vision, giving her some time to react. So, as he grabbed the gem, she grasped his hand to stop him. It was as if something at the back of her mind was flicked on and her whole body had jerked into autopilot mode. As stupid as it was, her instincts were what led her to do so. It wasn't like she didn't know that who she was up against; one of the most dangerous Contractors in history, she just acted without thinking. Something that was unthinkable of a Contractor.

What seemed like hours, passed by in mere seconds as their eyes locked for that moment in time. Although Hei was wearing a mask, he felt as if she were looking right through it, gazing deeply into the darkest pits of his soulless shell. Although her eyes were filled with surprise, there was not a trace of fear in them. It was as if she were daring him to zap the living daylights out of her. It was as if she, a _human_ girl, was challenging him, the infamous Black Reaper, to hurt her.

Finally, Hei was able to tear his gaze away from her enchanting sapphire orbs by sending a slight charge from his hand into her body. Not enough to kill her, but enough to send her reeling back a few paces before tipping her out of her wheelchair. The loud thud which soon followed her fall was coupled with the screams of the now wide awake on lookers who could hardly believe their eyes. But none of them could move fast enough to catch the Contractor as he promptly leapt through the last train's closing doors.

May's vision began to blur in a sea of red as she felt a sharp, throbbing pain at the side of her head; most probably caused by her head's impact with the hard cement. However, the female Contractor was able to focus her eyes on the figure that was looking down at her with a rigid form. Their eyes locked for another second before the bullet train took off into the distance. The blond swore under her breath as her eyesight began to dim, the sound of worried chatter and police sirens could be heard in the distance. But slowly, everything faded to black.

* * *

**A/N:** Thoughts? Questions? Corrections? Comments? Review!

Please?


	4. Chapter 4

Bittersweet

**Chapter 4:** _Encounter (2)_

**By:** _Crimson Essence_

**A/N:** I'm soooo sorry for taking so long to complete this chapter! . I was really stumped on one of my other stories and I wasn't willing to give up until I finished one of its chapters. ^^ I'm kinda stubborn that way. So, I hope you enjoy this! (To make up for the late update, I made this chapter extra extra long! It's much longer than the first two chapters combined!)

**A/A/N:** Also, I know there isn't supposed to be a moon, but I like the moon and will put it in this story. And I hope you enjoy the two featured flashbacks! l^-^l

* * *

It was the memories of that day that haunted her, that plagued her every time she let her thoughts wander. It was those memories that woke a deep seeded fear in the naturally emotionless Contractor. And now, those memories have decided to visit her once again.

_**4 years and several months ago...**_

_The chilly night air that cut to the bone, ran through the trees causing a wolf-like howl to echo through the night as they brushed past the dead leaves that hung on their blood stained branches. The moon, so big, so round, so beautiful, cast its ghostly gray light on the dismembered bodies, both human and Contractor alike, that lay on the blood soaked battlefield. The fake stars that hung overhead, lit up the night as the infinitely many gems crossed the blackened sky in multiple directions; an unrepeatable light show that amazed even the toughest Contractor to the smallest of infants who had lived through that day. It was that fateful day that signaled the end of the Heaven's Gate War. And it was the very same day that freedom had been brutally stripped from Sumi, now known to the MI-6 as May._

_Again, the same, excruciating pain ran down her spine._

_Again, her heightened senses felt the full intensity of the shockwaves._

_Again, she was completely defenseless on the ground as she laid there to die._

_Again, Hei believed his sister over her without anything more than a second thought._

_Again, she was seen as the betrayer when in fact, the one who was the real traitor was none other than Bai._

_If only Hei had overheard what she was going to do. If only Hei knew the full truth of what his sister was planning. If only he knew, if only, if only... Maybe then he would have helped Sumi instead of going against the one he had claimed to 'love'. A human's love can be such a fleeting little thing, can't it? Seeming so small and insignificant yet can cause the deepest of wounds that only time can mend. _

_But even though the girl's life was in their hands, they did not take it. He just couldn't take it despite the look in his eyes that read death. Instead, they turned their backs on her, hoping that someone else could do the deed for them. Stupid human. Did he actually think that giving her a small chance at living was going to fix everything? No. Letting her live that day was but the start of her growing hatred towards the three, Hei, Amber and Bai. Letting her live was one of the most illogical things to do. Did they not know that somehow, someday, she would return to seek revenge? No matter what, no matter who stood in her way, she would get revenge; if not now, then the future._

"Are you a human, or a Contractor?"

_It was that voice, that thick British accent that had pulled Sumi out of her thoughts and dropped her back into the real world; the cruel one. _

"If I were a human, would my _comrades_ have left me to die?"_ Sumi replied in a voice lacking all emotion except one, bitterness; her voice laced with sarcasm over the word 'comrades'. Comrades, if only she hadn't seen those Contractors as comrades or anything close to that. 'Trust no one, and no one will betray you.' If only she had listened to the words that written in stone._

_But when she heard a stifled laugh escape the man's lips, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of confusion. A laughing Contractor? That's not possible unless he wasn't one of them. And so, she glanced up at the British male that stood directly above her. Was he an idiot? Even though she was lying on the ground in her weakened state, a Contractor is still a Contractor. And every Contractor contains a certain amount of destructive abilities. There was no way this idiot was a Contractor. She might as well use him to get out of this mess._

"Are _you_ a human or a Contractor?"

_Sumi demanded as her eyes narrowed on the blond male's face. _

_Clad with a spotless MI-6 custom made fiber optic guerilla tactics suit that outlined his chiseled chest, the man looked more like a model than a soldier. In other words, a man like him with looks like that, fit better on a runway show than on the battlefield. Why? Well, if one were to take a closer look, one would notice how his golden hair reflected the moonlight; and how his crystal blue eyes sparkled like the fake stars as they plummeted to the earth. But on closer inspection, the way he carried himself was with such grace, such poise that for that second in time he looked like a trained veteran._

_In a good natured tone, the British male spoke, _"If a Contractor were a logical human and if a human were an illogical Contractor, then one would say that I am a logical human."

_An irritated scowl formed on the brunette's face but she didn't say anything. By now she had figured out that that man was very experienced in the field of manipulation. The aloof, friendly personality must have been a ruse to make his enemies drop their guard. He'd be perfect infiltration material; a thing that Sumi still had trouble with. But before the girl could even open her mouth to speak, another voice entered the fray causing the young Contractor to snap her head to the side._

"Hurry up and get it over with, November. We don't want to attract any more attention."

_Appearing right behind the man, now known as November, was a rather tall woman with eyes that were like two amber orbs which contrasted against her chocolate colored skin that was covered with a jet black suit; matching the other MI-6 agent's figure hugging outfit. Like the blond, she wore a slightly lighter colored bulletproof vest over her suit that gave off the impression that she could blend into the background. But unlike the blond, she seemed to fit the battlefield just fine; if not for the color of her hair. Apparently, it wasn't her odd colored eyes that attracted the most attention, but her cropped, icy blue hair that stood out the most, definitely contrasting with the black background of the night. _

_Taking on a slightly more serious note, the British agent nodded before returning his gaze to the girl who continued to lay on the ground, unmoving. _

"CX-315, what would you say to joining the MI-6 as one of my partners, or staying here to die?"

'_So they do know who I am...' The assassin thought to herself as she began to consider the two options. But there wasn't much to think about; it was either join the MI-6 or die. And even if she were to somehow make it out of this situation alive, it's not like she had anywhere else to go to. By now the Syndicate must have hailed her as a traitor after being lied to by Bai or she had been placed as another M.I.A. Either way, no one was expecting her, no one was going to look for her. And if they were looking for her, they weren't going to save her. In fact, they might just destroy her, as well as all the secrets she had. No one wants to leave a leak to spill out their secrets. They'd want to seal it shut for good. But because there was a leak, the greedy beasts were willing to drink it all up, to the very last drop._

_And so, being the Contractor that she was, Sumi was left with only one choice, the logical one._

"Alright...I'll join you..."

_Using what remained of her strength, the ex-Syndicate member attempted to push herself up from the ground and back onto her feet. But the effort had proved to be futile. Her legs buckled the moment they touched the floor; unable to stand up on their own, unable to support her own weight. In fact, the girl had lost all feeling in her legs and had only realized that fact just now. It was as if she had been paralyzed waist down by Bai's electricity. _

_No... _

_It wasn't an 'as if'. _

_Bai had paralyzed her. _

_And when that cold, hard, truth hit, Sumi –despite being a Contractor—was unable to process what to feel anymore. Should she be completely devastated? Angry? Or should she fall into the pits of insanity?_

_First her body began to tremble as her nails dug into the earthen soil beneath her, creating streaks in the mud before gathering as clumps in her fists. Finally her quivering lips formed a wide smile; a smile that verged on hysteria. And it wasn't the maniacal grin that was the disturbing bit, but her laugh. It was a laugh that resonated like a banshee's screech. A laugh that was comparable to that of a strangled woman choking on her own blood, gasping for air yet laughing because she was watching her murderer die the same, horrid death as she. It was a laugh that no man would ever wish to hear or ever hear again in his lifetime._

_It was then when Sumi's full transformation began. From a simple, logical Contractor who thought she knew the meaning of camaraderie, to a cold, blood-thirsty, calculative Contractor who could trust no one._

_And it was then when Sumi swore to murder those who put her in that sorry state._

_

* * *

Slowly, vision began to flood back into May's eyes that had just begun to crack open. But they were shut once again, for a blinding light shone in from one of the four crystal clear windows that had been placed throughout the room. Nevertheless, the blond allowed her eyes to slowly readjust to the different lighting. As she continued to readjust to her pure white surroundings, The MI-6 agent could feel a soft throbbing in her head that repeated itself over and over again, accompanied by a rather high pitched buzz that really irritated her ears. And so, to rid herself of that annoying buzz, the blond shook her head vigorously. But a sudden pain resounded from her head like a crack of a whip, sending all her senses out of whack; heightening her sense of hearing and touch while numbing all others causing her to let out a soft groan, making a mental note to herself not to do something as stupid as that again._

And so, the MI-6 agent gently laid her head back down against the plush, feather pillow and let her eyes wander from the bland, white wash walls that kept her locked up, to the open window that had been strategically placed right in front of her. By now it was plain obvious that was in a hospital. But who brought her here?

As if to answer her question, a soft snore caused May to turn her attention to the sleeping form who laid his head beside her bed. At first the Contractor was tense and ready to use her powers at a moment's notice; but the familiar sight of that blond hair was enough to calm her. His stable breathing pattern and the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest chased away the unwanted silence that would have consumed the room. He was the only one that held a portion of that girl's care. He was the only one that could sit beside her while she slept without moving a single muscle, or feeling the need to destroy the silence. He was the only one who could truly understand her without the use of words. He was the only one that she would allow into her life even after she had sworn not to trust a Contractor or a human ever again. But then again, he wasn't either one of them. He was a Doll. Once a human, now reverted to no more than a soulless shell that lives to obey. Well, he's quite a cute little soulless shell.

"Adorable, isn't he?"

The familiar British voice caused May to retract her hand that had been subconsciously stroking the little boy's head and returning her softened gaze back to its hardened state.

It was right after Sumi had accepted November's proposal that she was lifted out of the South American battlefield in an Apache attack helicopter and brought back to Japan in order to recuperate as well as aid with the planning of the battle strategies from there. And it was not long after that when She finally disowned the name 'Sumi' before adopting her new codename, 'May', not that it mattered too much. After all, Sumi wasn't her real name in the first place. Anyway, it had only been slightly over a week since arriving in Japan that Heaven's Gate disappeared, along with two thirds of the Contractors that were unlucky enough to be within the thousand mile radius. Luckily, November and April had returned a few days before the explosion had enveloped half of South America. It was almost as if the higher-ups had known of this outcome. But that was not possible, was it? Maybe they had a little snitch from the Syndicate to help. And so, after the Heavens Gate's War, May had been able to track BK-201's star using MI-6 technology along with the power of manipulation. But it was only two years later that she discovered it was not Bai that had survived the blast, but Hei who had somehow obtained his younger sister's powers, minus the contract. And that gave her a stronger drive to gain power as well as the use of her legs in order to extract her desired revenge.

"How can I regain the use of my legs?"

May's voice was rather sharp and disgruntle as she got straight to the point. She didn't have time for the nonsense that November wanted. Right now all she wanted were her legs and revenge. So she couldn't help but feel irritated when November laughed at her impatience.

"Well you sure are an impatient little thing." November laughed but quickly continued to speak when May's gaze hardened a measurable amount. "After a little digging around in MI-6's secret database, I accidentally stumbled across juicy classified information that would help you regain the use of your legs. But the process is rather dangerous. It's only been done once out of several attempts, most of which ended in death."

"Tell me," The girl urged, gathering the bed sheets into her fists as she listened more intently, ignoring the fact that November had been searching through the secret files for who knows what reason. Right now she was like a vulture just waiting for the death of an animal. Or on a lighter note, like a fan girl searching for an opening to glomp her idol.

"Well for one thing, you need a meteor shard —which you don't have at the moment— to start the procedure."

May's hand flew to her neck as if to grasp the nonexistent gem that once hung around there. And as she did so, a sudden memory of last night flashed through her mind causing her to wince ever so slightly. Not because of the throbbing sensation in her head, but the feeling of a broken ego. How could she have let that Contractor, if he was one, steal her precious memento? Well, as much as she wanted to use her powers to destroy the man in black, it would have been a completely illogical move on her part. For if she were to use her powers, it might just backfire on the innocent bystanders, and her obeisance after using her powers wasn't worth the trouble trying to cover up. Even with the help of the MI-6, it would have been a near impossible task. Still, the blond couldn't help but wish she had destroyed that insolent _boy_ there and then. But what struck her the hardest was the fact that she had it. She had the key to her freedom all this time and only found out its true worth after it had been stolen from her.

Curse Bai for putting her in this sorry state.

Curse Hei for abandoning her when she needed him.

Curse that masked man for stealing her gem.

And curse her damn ignorance.

* * *

Swinging up and under rusty poles, dodging random projectiles, the Black Reaper's grace and speed was comparable to that of a cat as he swiftly made his way across the metal railings which were located on the perimeter of the warehouse. When the man cloaked in black neared the end of the railing which had begun to radiate blue and take a life of its own, he immediately kicked off the metal, spiraling towards the Contractor who was causing these paranormal occurrences. As he cut through the air, the masked Contractor twisted his body in order to dodge more flying crates and pieces of metal before sending out his grapple to wrap around the other man's neck. The masked man's eyes flashed red, and within a few seconds, about 6600 watts of electricity—enough to kill a full grown elephant—had been sent down the metal rope, killing him just as the BK-201's feet touched the ground.

Hei couldn't help but wonder what in the world had caused that Contractor to attack him. Sure he could bend and control inanimate objects that he had touched, but still, he wasn't nearly good enough to kill the all powerful Black Reaper. Furthermore, it was rather illogical for a Contractor to go out of his way in order to instigate a fight. Maybe it was because of the meteor shard. It has been known to cause irregularities with whatever Contractors are near it; such as illogical thoughts and somewhat humanized emotions. But because Hei had inherited his powers from his sister, he was already a strange case for he lacked the proper mindset of a Contractor.

Straightening his body, the merciless Contractor couldn't help but wince as he felt a sharp pain run down his left arm that had been impaled by a piece of wood earlier on in his fight, obviously causing some discomfort, due to problems with his conscience. Despite being in a duel, Hei couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt every time the cold rock bounced against his chest. It may have been a Meteor Shard, but he had stolen it from a cripple, a female cripple to be exact. And that's not something someone would normally feel good about.

Sometimes a member of the Syndicate has to complete tasks that he himself isn't proud of.

Oh well, that's life.

* * *

In spite of the concussion and her doctor's protests, May had checked herself out of the hospital. Even though she was in no condition to fight anyone, let alone a Contractor that was on the top of MI-6's hit list, the stubborn female was still determined to retrieve that meteor shard. Despite the certain memories that that particular keepsake held, she always had a feeling that it might be of use to her in the future.

Though, the MI-6 agent couldn't help but wonder why November was so stunned when she described her attacker in as much detail as she could manage. The moment she had said the words 'white mask' and 'full black outfit', the blonde's usual demeanor had turned from casual and aloof to wide eyed and rigid. It was as if he knew full well who the perpetrator was. It was as if he now knew the depth of the situation and exactly how much trouble she was in because of that one shard and how much trouble she would be willing to go through for that shard.

The British man couldn't help but wish that he hadn't told her the method of regaining the use of her legs.

Either way, November 11 was able to cover his momentary shock with a slightly strained smile. Taking a half awake July by the hand and leading the boy out the door, November told her to wait right there. But how could he possibly expect her to wait without knowing what he was planning? Was he trying to search for the Meteor Shard? Or was he just going out for another pack of cigarettes? She had no idea of knowing and she was not planning to sit around without an idea of what was going on and what was being done about her current situation. And so she was planning to return to MI-6 Headquarters to find out.

* * *

"Where is he?" May demanded the second she stepped through the automatic doors of the MI-6 base. Ignoring her subordinates' greetings, the Contractor made a beeline towards April who was on her break.

Slurping up the last bits of her instant ramen, the agent took her time to swallow before turning her attention to her crippled comrade. "Oh, so you're alive," she simply stated, her voice lacking any relief or malice; merely affirming an outcome that she had expected from the beginning. It was a typical Contractor response.

"I repeat, 'where is he'?"

The usual cool, collected Contractor was now on a short fuse and her fellow MI-6 agent knew that full well. And so, letting out a sigh of defeat, she nodded her head in compliance. There was no point trying to stall May any further when she was in this state of mind. April could only hope that November would finish up his business with the Black Reaper before the blond arrived. At least July was with November, not May, because it would be harder for her to acquire an accurate update on the British male's current location and latest activities. And because May was physically impaired, that would slow her down a great deal.

But if the girl were to figure out that the one who attacked her was in fact BK-201, or better known to her as the person she had sworn her life to kill, who knows what she'll do. Well, attempt to kill him most probably. But in her crippled condition, she might not only compromise her situation but her life as well.

And if the Black Reaper found out that May was a Contractor, he would show her no mercy.

"For a Contractor, you do act illogically-"

In attempt to stall a little longer, April was cut short when a metal shaped hand wrapped its fingers around her neck; squeezing ever so slightly. This caused the grown woman to wince and struggle as it lifted her a couple feet off the ground. Other agents simply stood around wide eyed in horror, not moving forward to help for they knew what could happen if they were to enter the offending Contractor's line of sight.

"One last time... where is November 11?"

Her eyes that glowed bright red and a body that emanated a soft, blue light only enhanced the menace May held in her voice. She tightened her grip on one of the metal desks, which had turned into that iron fist, ever so slightly thus causing the metallic hand to tighten its grasp on April's neck.

A minute or so had passed yet April hadn't attempted to use her Contract knowing the outcome of everything if she were to do so. Finally, giving in to May's foolish demands due to the lack of oxygen, April quickly spat out November 11's location; as well as the fact that July was with him. And once The illogical Contractor had received the information she required, the blond released her hold on April's neck, causing the agent to crumple to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.

Rubbing the ring of bruises that were beginning to form around her neck, the Contractor questioned her junior—who was slowly picking apart a moth—in a rather pained tone, "And just how do you expect to get there? They could be anywhere by now. It's not like you have a tracking device on them..."

"Actually, I always keep a tracking device on July just in case he gets kidnapped."

After pulling out a simple black machine that pinpointed the boy's current position, making others wonder why May went through all the trouble of using her Contract on a fellow teammate, she continued to speak, "And my methods of transportation have already been fully thought out." Seriously, it was as if she knew of November's plans and had deliberated on a tactic ahead of everyone else. Even though it's her job as MI-6's head strategist against the Syndicate, The nineteen year old girl's know-it-all personality would be considered annoying, even to another Contractor.

As if to answer her subordinates' unasked questions, May spoke in her regular monotone voice as she wheeled herself over to one of the scientists-in-training. "If anyone stands in my way, I will kill you." This was not an obvious lie, but a lie nonetheless. Mainly because she still needed most of her coworkers alive for future use; but the fact that she had made an example of April, her own teammate, her other subordinates' fell silent fearing for their lives.

Ignoring their fearful looks, May turned her attention to the young scientist-in-training, Tetsushi Hideaki. "Get me my bionic suit," she ordered; her voice was sharper than usual but her features maintained their regular deadpan stare which was one that had kept people guessing at the assassin's true intentions. But right now, those people had a pretty good idea on what she was planning to do.

"B-but May-san, it's just a prototype in its testing stages. It would be too dangerous..."

Regardless of the fact that she was confined to her wheelchair, the blonde's unsympathetic gaze was enough to cut off the normally headstrong eighteen year old boy in mid sentence. And so, knowing full well how serious May was, Tetsushi feebly averted his gaze as he motioned in a general direction. Despite his better judgment, he had no other choice but to let her have things her way and merely hope for the best.

**

* * *

After taking the quickest route to the testing room, May soon came face to face with her bionic suit. Well, it _was_ supposed to be her bionic suit. Inside a cylindrical bulletproof tube were two plain gloves the color of a raven's feathers, which looked like they were made completely out of fabric. She couldn't help but wonder if this really was all there was and if she had been cheated. There was no way something like that could be the bionic suit she had requested.**

Without needing to be asked, Tetsushi –who had trailed closely behind May—keyed in the password onto a keyboard before placing his thumb onto the device which then deactivated the barrier around the supposed 'bionic suit'.

Despite the situation, the blond scientist-in-training couldn't help the proud look that appeared on his face. This was his very first invention he was giving to May. And because he wanted it to be perfect, the eighteen year old spent months, pulled many all-nighters, even sucked up his pride to ask help from others, just so that he could receive the slightest bit recognition or appraisal from his favorite Contractor. And even though the bionic suit still had some kinks in it, Tetsushi was quite certain that it would meet most of their expectations.

After placing the gloves on May's lap, Tetsushi then instructed her to fit her hands into the fabric and flex her hands several times.

Although confused by his instructions, the blond carried them out without question. After several moments of waiting in silent expectation, May was disappointed when nothing happened. Just as she began to open her mouth to speak, things started to become interesting. The tips of the cloth-like material began to glow a soft red before travelling across her body in streaks of lights. But before the blond could utter a word of confusion, the pure black fabric began to grow outwards from what had originally seemed to be rays of light writhing like a sack of decapitated snakes. Within seconds it had covered her entire body from her neck down.

Obviously noticing her confusion, the tech boy adjusted his glasses to hide the smug look on his face as he began to explain what was happening.

"Don't worry May-san, just keep calm and let the armor form. Soon, you'll be able to walk just by willing it. Not only that, your speed and strength will be greatly augmented, though there are some bugs we need to work out. But other than that I'm sure you'll be pleased with my work."

This caused the MI-6 agent's ears to prick up. Although she would only have momentary use of her legs, her speed and strength would drastically increase. That would bring her to November 11's location in no time.

Finally slabs of onyx colored armor began to mold over the fabric, quickly melding together to form a full body suit. But that wasn't the end of it. The final piece of the suit slowly came together, creating a pure black helmet with a single red sphere in the middle of it which served as a camera. Inside the helmet were several screens, giving her a 360 degree view of her surroundings. And merely by willing it, she could easily target an object that was several miles away and magnify it to look as if it were right in front of her. Even though it looked large and cumbersome, her movements were relatively fluid. Sure she couldn't possibly perform many combat maneuvers that required her utmost flexibility. But otherwise, it was as if the armor wasn't there in the first place. It was almost as if the scientists had combined the armor with the latest breakthrough in nanotechnology. Oh wait, now that she recalled, Tetsushi had said something about that when he was giving her a 'brief' explanation on the making of her armor.

Too bad she hadn't been listening.

'_Alright... let's see if this works...'_ May thought to herself as she slowly stood up from her seat. After taking a couple of ponderous steps forward, She then had to lean against the wall as her right leg buckled under her weight. Even with the help of the bionic suit, walking was a rather difficult task for she still could not feel her legs and the only power she could use to move was her mind. Not only that, it's been almost five years since she last took a step. And to suddenly become an expert at it right now, well, that's a fool's dream.

"Careful May-san, you're still not used to walking with only your mind. It could be months before you finally master the full range of movements offered by the suit," Tetsushi said, his voice soft and endearing as he placed a hand on her shoulder only to have it shrugged off.

"I don't have months, or even hours. I need to go now," the blond said as she began to take steps away from the scientist. She began to mutter the words 'left' and 'right' under her breath as she took one shaky step at a time towards a window, slowly getting the hang of it as she went along. However, the only drawback to the suit was the disorienting view of the cameras.

Realizing immediately what May was attempting to do, the blond haired scientist protested, "Please May-san! It's dangerous for you to even try- Stop!" That was his yell as he grabbed her arm, just as she was about to smash the window open. They were on the 21st floor for god's sake! There was no way she was that crazy to jump from that height! "You'll die if you jump!" he cried as he tried pulling her away, but to no avail.

"I won't die."

This was May's straightforward response as she then broke open the bulletproof window with her free hand, not receiving a single scratch on her armor. Maybe he was concerned about something else. "And at any rate, you built this suit for a Contractor. So I will use it to its fullest..." Her voice trailed off for a moment, confused by his troubled demeanor, before continuing, "If you're that worried about the suit, don't be. I promise that it'll come back to you in one piece."

"It's not the suit that I'm worried about! I like you! So-"

"Contractors are liars; killing machines in human form. They can't think outside of their programming or process illogical feelings such as love. So don't be stupid. Just forget about me and find a normal human girl."

And with those words, the cold, heartless killing machine turned her back to the blond haired teen—not wanting to see the painfully crushed look on his face—before leaping out the window.

* * *

Lifting the tear shaped gem up to the lamp post, the Black Reaper slowly removed his mask and watched as the fake light exited the jewel in a prism of colors ranging from the deepest of blues to the lightest of purples. It was just like a miniature kaleidoscope hanging from a silver chain; so strange and hypnotic. If this was one of the meteor shard's many traits, he shouldn't let his mind wander too much. The precious stone, smooth in complexion and no larger than his thumb, caused the bishounen to raise an eyebrow in disbelief. He'd seen it before. And he knew exactly where.

But before Hei could control his thoughts, unwanted memories began to flood into his mind.

_**5 years and several months ago...**_

_The night air that was usually thick with the scent of death and decay was replaced with the sweet smell of fresh air and newly cut grass after rain. Even the usual, chaotic, blood stained battlefield had been swapped out by a crystal clear pond that was surrounded by trees of different shapes and sizes. The only similarity this change of scenery held was the lack of sound. There were no frogs croaking as they should have, there were no crickets creating their high pitched screeches to disrupt the night. The only animals there were the fish that lazily cut through the water, scales glinting in the starlight, while fireflies drifted overhead, their reflections on the water mirror gave off the impression that there were twice as many stars in the sky._

_Sitting completely still on a boulder positioned precariously close to edge of the pond, was a young girl. With her fair skin that greatly contrasted against her one-piece battle suit, she kept a delicate hand on to her _CALICO M950 _that hung loosely on her waist. Her short, auburn brown locks which pressed against her face was dripping wet from an earlier rain shower that had washed off the blood that had stained her hair, face and clothes. She couldn't let her guard down for a second, because it could be that second that would cost her, her life._

_The brunette's head was tilted towards the sky but her eyes were closed, as if to ignore the multiple stars that crossed the sky, signaling the end of a life. Or in this case, lives. But with every one star that fell, within minutes, one or more stars would soon fill its place. It was as if the Gates were purposely creating Contractors to fight in this nonsensical war. Almost as if the Gods were taking the human race, evolving them into an entirely different species, for their own cruel enjoyment. Knowing full well that no matter how hard the humans fought, no matter how many Contractors were slain, for as long as the Gates stood, their race will remain. _

_No one would admit it. No, it was more like no one wanted to admit it. Despite it all, they feared the truth. They were afraid that if they acknowledged the fact that this was just the beginning, they would lose the war. They knew, deep down in the pits of their despairing hearts that it was time for the human race to step down. No longer will the world be filled with illogicality or pathetic breeds that desperately struggled to live day to day lives, or the pigs that sat comfortably on their thrones in their mansions of gold and silver, feasting on the finest of foods. That would soon end. Only the strong and powerful shall survive, all the weak and hopeless, sick and afflicted, will die._

_This is the dawn of the Contractors._

_It was useless trying to fight the inevitable. Sooner or later, fate would play its hands against mankind. Soon, they would all die. So why fight back any longer? It would be better to end everything. Why was she fighting? Surely there was no reason for her existence any longer. She was a human. A human girl at the age of fourteen fighting a war she was sure to lose. It was her birthday that day. But no one knew and no one would have cared. She was a human, so weak and replaceable. Not for one second could she think that she meant something to someone. If she were to die, no one would bat an eyelid. Well, maybe one person..._

"Sumi-chan! Sumi-chan!"

_This was the voice that pulled the young girl out of her thoughts and back into the real world, breaking the silence that she had been enjoying. Well, if not for that one person, she would have ended her own life a long time ago. Although she knew it was a coward's way out, killing day in and day out, fearing the future every night would be too much for one person to bear alone._

_Standing in front of Sumi was a sixteen year old Hei, clad in a custom-made Special Tactics Suit which was rather similar to hers, except that his was spattered with blood of the enemy. _

"Hei-kun? Did something happen? What's wrong?"

_As she spoke, the brunette hopped off the boulder before landing beside the teen, inspecting the slit of blood on his cheek and the his bruised lower lip. Although the two had known each other for more than three years, they still didn't know the other's true name. To him, Sumi was Sumi and to her, Hei was just Hei. Those were the names they were given upon joining the Syndicate, and those were the names they would carry out for as long as they remained. _

_Shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, the raven haired teen began to speak, _"I was just looking for you and ran into a little trouble, that's all."

"Why?"_ She questioned, raising an eyebrow in the process. It wasn't often that he'd go through so much trouble to meet her when they were sure to meet back at the camp later on._

"Because, I want to give this to you_," As he spoke, a small smile crossed the Black Reaper's lips as he removed the necklace which hung around his neck. The tear shaped gem which hung on a thick, black string was almost see-through; yet a small sphere of light colors rotated in the middle of the thumb sized stone refracted multiple colors in different directions. A strange little thing._

_A proud grin grew on the teen's face as he saw the look of awe and disbelief that was clear on his friend's face. Taking a step towards her, his satisfied grin was replaced with a complacent smile as he lifted the necklace over her head and let it rest against the base of her neck, brushing her chocolate brown locks away from her porcelain face in the process. _'Beautiful...' _That was Hei's singular thought as he let his hand slowly run through her tresses before brushing against her cheek, feeling a definite rise in temperature._

_In a low voice, no louder than a sigh, the one known as the heartless Black Reaper whispered to her, _"Happy Birthday, my princess..." _His next words were nearly inaudible to the human ear, that if Sumi had been standing an inch further from him, she wouldn't have heard what he said. And so, he continued to ask, _"Do you like your present?"

_As if to answer his question, the brunette closed the gap between the two of them, wrapping her arms around his neck while Hei instinctively wrapped his around her waist, as if she were about to fall. Her lips parted, brushing against his as she spoke in a soft, tender tone, _"I_ love _it."

_Although Hei's mind told him it was the time to start a relationship in a warzone—even though he really wanted to—he acted on his first instincts and sealed her words with a kiss._

_

* * *

Running a gloved finger across his lips, Hei couldn't help but remember the feel of her lips on his, how she smelt of rain and how she fit so perfectly in his arms. Remembering how he had winced in pain because of his bruised lip and how Sumi would break the kiss to apologize before continuing, caused a small smile to curve its way onto the bishounen's face. It was a sweet memory, but the event that occurred after that wasn't sweet in the slightest._

Little did Hei know back then, it was that gem that started the chain of unfortunate events which lead to Sumi's 'betrayal' and supposed 'death'. It was that one pebble that ruined everything; their lives, their love and their future. It was all its fault! If only... If only he hadn't found broken that piece from its larger counterpart and given it to Sumi. Maybe, just maybe she might still be human. Maybe she might have remained the fiery, loud, energetic and illogical girl he had loved. Maybe she wouldn't have turned into a cold, calculating, killing machine the very next day and everything would have stayed the way it was supposed to.

Although Sumi had tried to comprehend human feelings after her transformation, although she tried her hardest to return his feelings the same way she had the day before, it wasn't the same. She wasn't the same. Even though it was obvious that she tried her best to be what she once was, the fact that she was the cause of her own family's death meant that she wasn't. She had killed her parents, valuable scientists from the Syndicate before finishing off her younger brother as her Contract. And Hei had seen it all but he could do nothing to stop her.

If only he could turn back the clock and undo the past. But he knew it was impossible. Even he knew what might happen to the future if he were to disrupt the past. She might have died even earlier without her Contractor powers. But now that this abomination has resurfaced, could it be that Sumi is still alive?

'_Still. This... _Thing_. What it did... Unforgivable...'_

But before the Black Reaper could think any further, a familiar voice cut through the room with its thick British accent.

"BK-201, just what do you intend to do to with the meteor shard?"

Without needing to face the foreigner, Hei could easily tell who the man was. MI-6 agent, November 11. The two had faced off many times in the past, and he, along with the rest of his unit, were the only few that had ever fought Him and lived; this long.

"I'm surprised; you actually stole from a cripple. How noble of you."

Although November was obviously sarcastic, he sure didn't sound like he was. In fact, if one were human and didn't know better, they would have thought that the foreigner really was congratulating the Black Reaper. But BK-201 did know better and was readying himself for what might happen next.

In a monotone voice befitting a Contractor, Hei answered the question, "I'm going to destroy it."

"Ah, so he does speak," The MI-6 agent smirked as he spoke, almost as if he were taunting the Black Reaper to start a fight.

"Stay out of my way."

Although the assassin spoke without a hint of emotion, November could easily tell that BK-201 had already lost most of his patience; mainly because May was a lot like Hei behavior wise, like two peas in a pod. Well it was only to be expected. After all, the two had survived a war together while fighting in the same Unit. It was obvious that the two shared certain personality traits.

Shaking his head as if he were speaking to a child, the blond haired Contractor motioned for the Doll that stood behind him, to find a safe location, knowing full well that a battle was about to start. Turning his attention back to BK-201, November began to speak, "Sorry, but I can't let you do that. You see, I have a comrade who desperately needs that meteor shard."

The Black Reaper slowly placed his mask on his face and turned to face November 11. Using the same, deadpan voice, the masked man muttered something that sounded like 'I see'. And with a deft flick of his wrist, a thin but strong cord of conductive material shot out from his hand with such precision that it caught the man's wrist, before he even had a chance to move. And like any other Contractor would do, Hei's eyes flashed red and his entire body began to emanate that same, soft blue light that always signaled the start of one's end.

* * *

**A/N:** the other reason that took me so long to finish this story was describing how the bionic suit formed onto May's body. Since I hardly know anything about mechanics, it took me awhile to actually imagine it, so I went online to make references on how her suit should look like.

Love it? Hate it? Thoughts? Corrections? Errors? Praise? Criticism?

Please review!

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	5. Chapter 5

**Bittersweet**

_**Chapter 5:**__ The price of freedom (1)_

**By:** _Crimson Essence_

**A/N:** _Fact of the day_: I am a procrastinator.

* * *

November 11 knew full well that he was in trouble for letting down his guard; he hadn't expected the Black Reaper to react so quickly. It was as if BK-201 was in a completely different mindset, much different from the times that they had fought in the past. This Black Reaper seemed on edge and rather anxious. In fact, he didn't seem to want to hang around much longer and was intent on ending this battle as soon as possible. It seemed that the masked man had enough of the games.

No words were exchanged between the two men as the masked Contractor began to emanate a soft, azure light. November understood that he was going to die and so, he shut his eyes as a cheerless smile crossed his lips, as if to finally except his defeat. After all, there was no power he could call upon that could save him now. Was this divine retribution? After all, he had been hunting BK-201 ever since he had been stationed in Japan; now the hunter was the hunted.

Just as he began to accept his fate, the MI-6 agent felt the metallic cord around his wrist loosen its grip followed by a loud crashing noise that was accompanied by the cracking of cement. This thunderous explosion caused November to reopen his eyes and stare at the large, bulky figure that was crouched in the center of the adequate sized crater. If the Black Reaper—who was now several feet away from the two- hadn't avoided the attack in time, he would have been crushed almost instantly. Glancing to the side, the blond haired male spotted several cars with their hoods dented in an inwards fashion, including his. What the heck was that? Since there was almost no way of telling whether that person was a he or a she, or whether it was a human, robot or a Contractor, November would have to refer to the hulking piece of armor as a 'thing'. Though he did have a small inkling of who might be piloting such a machine.

That was when the thing slowly stood up; its single eye was fixated on its smoking fist, as if that it too was surprised by its own strength. Though the surprise lasted but a mere second as the machine snapped its head to November's direction so fast that it could have easily broken its own neck. This gave the blond male had only a fraction of a second to flinch before the same fist collided with the side of his face, sending him stumbling back several paces. When he regained his balance, he could have sworn he heard a metallic voice from behind the helmet say, "Idiot..."

That was when November Eleven was absolutely sure that the person piloting the bionic suit was none other than his teammate, May, who was a whole different kind of power; if only he could actually call upon her when he needed her. The blond merely smirked as he rubbed his sore cheek, getting the 'hint' that he was to step aside for now and answer some questions later. Once the bionic user was sure the message had been passed, she turned to face the masked Contractor that simply stood behind her; dumbstruck. Obviously he hadn't seen such advanced technology before, was wondering what was going on and whether the person in the suit was a friend or foe. What kind of foe would attack their friend instead of the enemy?

The man behind the bone white mask was answered when the thing turned his way and attacked almost instantaneously. It took all of the veteran's skills and wit to dodge the barrage of fists and occasional kicks which were causing him to back up into a corner. He, the infamous Black Reaper was being cornered like a rat by this unknown assailant. The fact that he was on the defensive was not only unimaginable but absolutely derogatory towards his image as the all powerful Contractor working for the Syndicate. If his field officer were here, he would have been terribly reprimanded.

Frustrated and cornered, the Contractor decided that it was time to turn the tables. As he adjusted his footing, a metallic fist caught Hei in the chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs and breaking a rib or two; but that was the plan.

Grabbing the machine's left arm, BK-201 tapped into his powers and sent several waves of electricity down the machine's arm, hoping that that would be enough to short circuit the machine. But instead of halting the robot's movements, it simply dissipated the arm from the tips of its fingers to its shoulder—actually, it was more like a miniature explosion as pieces of shrapnel scattered in multiple directions. The pieces cut through his sleeves and gloves; drawing blood in the process. It was rather surprising that the metal could cut through his bullet proof coat, but then again, what he thought was metal was most probably not.

If the Contractor had not been wearing a mask, one would have easily noticed the look of confusion on his face. After all, in place of the mechanical arm was a bare human arm; flesh, blood and feminine in every way. He had not suspected that he had been fighting a woman.

Even the female in the suit was shocked about the fact that a part of her suit had been dismantled easily. She was at a disadvantage now that he knew a weakness of hers. Oh well, it was just a small drawback, he still had no idea of her powers, while she on the other hand, could already take a shot at what he could do.

The girl swiped at his face with her right arm. It was an easy dodge despite the fact that her speed was still twice the velocity of his and the sting in his side from the first attack was steadily growing. Sadly, as he skillfully arched his back backwards, he had not seen the punch as a fake and the figure crouched down, spinning once with an outstretched leg. It was a terrible slip up on the Black Reaper's part. When he raised his arm to block the attack, the sound that followed the collision was one of snapping bones. Yes, that one kick broke BK-201's arm and sent him crashing into the ground.

When the Black Reaper's back met with the hard concrete ground, he coughed up blood, staining the inside of his mask as his attacker stomped on his chest with enough force that it broke several more ribs. A part of him wondered how he was still alive while the rest of his internal self was screaming in pure agony. If his body were to take any more damage, he would be dead. He had to get out of there even if his pride was injured: he'd just have to return for a rematch another day when he was better prepared, both physically and mentally.

The one piloting the suit lifted her foot and brought it down on BK-201's chest once again, but this time, he was ready for it. Rolling aside to dodge the final blow –which created a miniature crater in his place—the battered Contractor grabbed the mechanical leg and sent enough energy up her leg that it too, like her arm, exploded outwards.

A few pieces of the metal embedded in the Black Reaper's skin, breaking off the bottom part of his mask in the process to reveal a trickle of blood from his lip. Although battered and bruised, the man smirked as he watched the woman stagger and lose her balance, landing on her side with a loud slam. She attempted at getting up but failed. Whether it was because the mechanisms in the suits legs had malfunctioned or because her right leg was limp, he didn't know, and he didn't have time to think. He had to end this battle now. Raising his blade, sending a concentrated amount of electricity to its tip, hoping that it would break through the girl's armor, he brought it down.

Luckily for May, November wasn't the kind or Contractor to sit back and watch a comrade that had just saved his life get killed; usually because it was troublesome to find a replacement for that comrade. Let's just say it was a way of removing all debt. With deadly speed and accuracy, the blond MI-6 agent pitched a shard of ice at the Black Reaper, knocking the knife out of the man's hand; giving May enough time to use her own Contract, a thing that was (usually) only done as a last resort.

The ground beneath BK-201's feet began to tremble and radiate the same azure glow as the woman before shooting up in deadly spikes. To avoid this, the masked man leapt back, creating a distance between him and the woman.

He had enough of this. He was getting out of there; and that, he did.

Swearing profusely, May could only watch as her prey escaped into the cover of night. She would have shot November an accusing glare if she wasn't trying her hardest to fight back the urge to kill someone.

"Why didn't you kill him?" she snarled, her voice was harsh as she slammed a fist into the cracked cement before removing her helmet with the other.

November 11 raised the meteor shard which he had swiped from the center of the crater May had created while stomping on the Black Reaper's chest. It must have fallen off during the fight without their knowledge. Now wasn't that a stroke of good luck? At the corner of his eye, he noticed an 'observer spirit' recede into a puddle of water but dismissed it. Whoever that belonged to couldn't do anything about what has just happened. If it could, then that Doll would have sent someone to save their 'comrade'.

In a calm voice befitting a Contractor of his caliber, the MI-6 agent spoke.

"I didn't want to steal your prey. After all, he's the one who warrants your revenge."

Him.

Right after the shocking realization crossed her mind, her entire being was filled with upmost hatred and a blinding craze to rip out someone's throat. A scream of fury was caught in her mouth that was coated with her own blood for her teeth had pierced her own lips, excreting a metallic taste. Her left fist paled and began to bleed as her nails dug into her own skin while the other that was still coated in metal began to crack due to the pressure. She slammed her fist into the ground once in frustration. Now everything made so much sense. The distinctive way he carried himself during the battle, his raven locks, those weapons and that mask.

How did she miss all those glaringly obvious clues? He had been there. He had been right in front of her and yet she hadn't killed him. If only she had known, then she would have used her contract right off the bat to end his life; laughing as he cursed her with his last breath. She made absolutely no attempt to conceal the flames that burned within her like a normal Contractor would, or mask her emotions like her gentle and graceful alias 'Shizue Takara'. This was the real May. A frustrated and revenge crazed Contractor with emotions that she shouldn't even have in the first place. A frustrated, revenge crazed Contractor who was subconsciously tapping into her powers. Yes, without her knowledge, her body began to glow and her eyes flash a dangerous shade of crimson as the anger continued to build up inside of her. November, knowing full well what she was about to do, knocked her unconscious before she released a wave of destruction; like she had done during the 'Heaven's Gate War' all those years ago.

Knowing exactly what was going to happen next, November picked up the same shard of ice he had used on BK-201 and took a swing.

As the girl's body fell limp, the blond haired Contractor cradled the girl in his arms for a few moments, a rather sentimental and out of character gesture for one of MI-6's most valued operatives, before picking her up. It looked so effortless, almost as if the armor—which was missing a few chunks here and there—she wore was feather weight. Muttering a soft apology, the male Contractor stated that he valued his life and that she would have to claim her long awaited revenge another time. Then, glancing at July who stood a safe distance away from the brawl, November nodded as a motion for the little Doll to follow him.

Without another word, the two foreigners—one with an unconscious girl in his arms—melded into the night.

* * *

First were the voices that sounded like annoying buzzes which were at the same time, almost deafening. Second, the blinding spot lights that felt like they could easily scorch one's eyes from a mere glance. Third, the feelings and throbbing sensations that would slowly entered one's body, starting from the tip of one's head to the ends of their toes.

Stop.

Toes?

It took several moments before the idea finally sank in. As a Contractor, she didn't experience much emotion, despite the fact that she was beginning to regain the use of her legs. After all, only a couple hours ago did 'he' get away from her; slipped out of her grasp like the slippery eel he was. Now that loss had left a horrid taste in her mouth; along with the bitterness of almost losing a battle and having to rely on her partner to save her. Disgusting.

At last, she sat up with incredible sluggishness, lazily swinging her legs off the side of the bed as she ran a hand through her golden locks –a clear show of irritation. Beside her bed was a silver platter with surgical tools, none of which had a spot of blood. Maybe whoever it was that was taking care of her must've thought that she needed medical attention.

"May-san! You're awake, thank goodness!"

Tetsushi Hideaki, the eighteen year old boy who had feelings for her that she had so brutally pushed away. Why was he here?

Although this animated voice was a little too enthusiastic for the female's taste, she didn't speak. Instead, she opened her eyes and stared hard at her toes which began to wiggle and scrunch up. They really were working, her legs were working. No longer would she be strapped to a wheel chair or require the use of a bionic suit to walk. Now, she could use her own legs; her own power. No longer would she need to be looked down upon with pitiful eyes that said, "The poor girl..." or "So young and already paralyzed." She was even certain that there were a few who wondered if her reproductive organs still worked. Truthfully, she had no idea and quite frankly, she couldn't care less.

The voice continued to speak despite the MI-6 agent's silence.

"When November-san brought you here I was so shocked! I mean, what happened? Even the bionic suit was completely wrecked... I mean, it's not like I wasn't worried about you May-san! I mean, I-"

"How are you feeling?"

A second voice cut through the scientist-in-training's long winded speech causing the eighteen. It was November 11 who had saved the girl from the boy's chatter. Motioning a hand towards the smaller figure that stood absolutely still beside him, the Contractor continued to speak, "I'm sure that's what July wants to know."

Whether July was truly worried about her, she really couldn't tell due to the fact that he was a Doll. Either way, the female Contractor glanced up in attempt to smile at the young boy and reassure him of her state. Sadly, that was one of the biggest mistakes in her life.

She had forgotten about her contract.

Almost immediately did an uncontrollable need to kill course through her body, targeting on the one child that she had protected ever since their first encounter. Why? Because he was the first person she had laid her eyes on since her awakening. As stupid as it was that she had forgotten about not paying off her pact, she had forgotten nonetheless.

What happened next occurred quicker than a heartbeat. Without the time to even think, her body's mechanism had switched into autopilot mode. At the corner of her eye, she spotted the plate of surgical tools that were laid ever so coincidentally close to her. Losing control of her body, her hand grabbed a surgical knife and lunged at the stoic little boy.

The next was a miniature eruption of blood which painted the young boy's porcelain cheeks a sickly red. Although his body was completely still –and had been even though May had lunged for him—the look in his crystallized blue eyes held a fleeting emotion.

Fear.

* * *

"You_ lost_ the shard to an MI-6 agent?"

This outraged roar belonged to a rather short and stout man; probably in his late forties due to the signs of balding and sporting a beer belly. Clad in a worn trench coat and his trademark beater hat, the old man bit down on his lit cigar. His face was slightly red, and darkening, from sheer disbelief that the Black Reaper had actually failed a mission –an important one to boot—and returned badly wounded. Just who had the infamous harbinger of death crossed swords with? Well, that really didn't matter to him. What mattered was the fact that the old man had to answer to the higher ups in place of that Contractor, and that was never a fun thing to do.

The raven haired man who now sitting in the "safety" –a rather loosely based term in this day and age—of his room, merely brushed off his field officer's ranting as his wounds were being bound by the only female member of his team. The blind Doll, Yin. Who knew that she was familiar with first-aid let alone the fact that she had a kit right beside her when he returned? Maybe she had prepared it after watching him being attacked.

"Hospital." Yin said plainly as she tightened the strips of cloth that secured his broken arm in its place. Hei's eye twitched ever so slightly, but gave no other hint of discomfort or pain. He truly was a master at masking his true emotions.

Sadly it was true, no matter how much first aid she knew, it was obvious from the extent of his wounds that he needed a hospital. Several broken bones couldn't be too good for one's health. Maybe they could get a doctor who was under the Syndicate's influence –a necessary precaution to avoid unwanted questions. The Contractor was already sure that Yin had searched for several such doctors when she watched his battle with the two MI-6 agents. Well, he was sure that one was November 11, but the other, he had no clue of.

'_Just who was that woman...?'_

* * *

Warm blood trailed down May's arm and dripped to the ground, creating miniature puddles on the marble floor and staining the whitewash wall that she leaned against. Her face contorted in discomfort as she roughly yanked out the surgical knife that was embedded in her skin. At least she had _that_ much control to injure herself in order to reign herself. Pain must have been the only thing that kept her contract at bay.

The pain was enough to release her mind from her body's hold as she focused all of her attention on the gash in her arm. She had to keep her mind on the pain and off the killing; at least until she found a proper substitute. She needed to find someone who looked like July, someone who she had often thought of as the Doll, someone who she cared for as well. She knew exactly who the substitute could be and she knew that she had no choice. It was either him or July.

Without another word, or a brief explanation, the blond grabbed a strip of cloth that was beside her bed and raced out the room as if the devil had sent its hell hounds after her. She had to get out now or else the desire to kill may be turned against another comrade, and she was not going to let that happen. After all, finding a replacement and explaining herself to the Directors of MI-6 were much too troublesome; even for her.

Once May was out of sight, November let out a sigh, muttering to himself 'Another mess...' as he turned his attention to July to wipe the blood off the little boy's cheeks. "I don't think she'll be back at HQ for awhile," he spoke, almost as if he were answering an unasked question. The young boy slowly bobbed his head up and down in understanding. He did not speak. He hardly ever did.

November almost sighed a second time at the boy's indifferent façade –knowing full well that if the boy were a normal child, he would be bawling right there and then. Throwing a glance at the doorway, the blond haired Contractor did not mask the minuscule frown that had crossed his lips as he began to think.

'_The obeisance to kill the first living thing she sees... I wonder how long she will last...'_

* * *

In the depressing depths of Tokyo's many back alleys, practically secluded from the outside world, a soft thud sounded as a body slumped to the floor, blood flowing like a fountain from the singular fist sized hole in his chest. Dilated eyes that held a far off gaze, a mouth which hung ajar and blood matted raven locks gave off a truly horrific sight. Standing in the shadow of the night, a dark figure outlined by the moonlight hovered over the deceased body. A blood stained cloth was tied around a wound on her left arm while a trickle of crimson slid down her right, the side of her face was also dirtied with specks of scarlet Using the cleaner of the two hands, she swept it across her cheek, smearing her porcelain skin, red.

"I need to find that substitute soon, or else..."

The woman bit down on her lip, wincing from the sudden sharp sting as she drew blood. Although one would see this self infliction as unnecessary, for her, it was as necessary. After all, the life of a very precious person was at stake. She needed that pain to control her body, stop it from returning to the headquarters, or wherever July may be, and finish him off. That small scale drug dealer who stood in her way was just another unfortunate soul. Not the kind of person the community would miss, or even bat an eye if he found dead.

Allowing the luxury of a time to herself, the blond haired Contractor threw a sideways glance to the star littered sky. Her face portrayed no emotion whatsoever as she let words flow from her lips. It was almost as if she were talking to the stars themselves.

"I've finally found you... Hei..."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that concludes this chapter! Again, sorry for the long wait! . I didn't have time to read through the story thoroughly, so if you find any mistakes, please let me know and I'll reread the story.

**Warning:** The next chapter will have a sweet beginning but a rather dark ending. So brace yourselves for that. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

(there's so much fighting... I want ROMANCE!.)

_Thoughts, Corrections, Criticism, Praise, Questions... ETC! Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Bittersweet**

_**Chapter 6:**__ The price of freedom (2)_

**By:** _Crimson Essence_

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* * *

_

**A/N:** After months of procrastination, here is chapter 6! ^^

Also,

_**MERRY CHRISTMAS!**_

As a treat, I have found an amazing picture that I found on . It looks a lot like how **May's original form** is like.

Just go to deviantart, type in **'Asuka111', **

Then look for** 'A lady in black' **

This is to find the original form of May before she transformed her looks into a blonde (She'll turn back to her natural form soon)

Also, to find out how she looked like during the Hell's Gate war, look through Asuka111's gallery (click the 'illustration' folder) and find '**Turbulence**'.

Her art's uncannily close to how I pictured May.

* * *

Although she could walk now, even with the feel of her legs, she knew she would not have all the mobility skills she once had in her glory days. Whether she would ever return to the peak of her perfection was still unsure, but if she could, the chances were rather slim and the time it would take to retrain herself would be years. Right now though, she had to put progression aside and focus on the task at hand. Find a substitute for July, and kill him.

After 'borrowing' a wheel chair from the local hospital, May began her search for the replacement she had in mind. Seiichi Ichiba was his name, but where could she find him this evening? She would need to return to the kindergarten where she worked at for her cover and look through the school directory. Even then that was a shot in the dark. Word in the teacher's lounge is that his parents were on rocky ground and there has been talk of divorce. Whether it has happened yet was uncertain. Who knew feigning sweet ignorance as those women tried to act as if they were a bunch of gossiping teenagers would actually pay off?

As May continued to mull over her situation, a commotion snaps her out of her thoughts. Normally, she would have ignored a petty scuffle, but this one had caught her attention; not because of the barbaric assaults of cowardice on a young boy, but because that boy was none other than the one she was to kill; Seiichi Ichiba. Now that made her task much easier than it had been.

After thanking the fake stars that began to show in the maroon sky, the MI-6 agent paused for a moment as confusion befell her. What could a seven year old boy have done to incur the wrath of five teenagers? May knew that Seiichi always liked being the 'tough guy', but not once had she ever imagined him to actually get into a fight that he was sure to lose.

Finally, May decided that it was time to step in. The petty little bullying started to get out of hand and from her point of view, it seemed that the July look alike had bitten one of the teens for a loud curse was yelled as one withdrew, clutching his hand as he swore. Two of the five grabbed the struggling boy's arms and lifted him off the ground. Two others simply glared at any one who passed by, as if to dare them to try and intervene. They didn't and simply turned their sights elsewhere like the cowardly humans they were. One who seemed to be leader of the group began to clench and unclench his fists as a show that he was not afraid to throw a few punches.

"If you cry and beg for mercy, I might just go easy on you, brat," the leader sneered, his voice slurring as he attempted to pronounce the word 'mercy'. Was he drunk? The woman was unsure, but considering the situation, it was quite probable.

When Seiichi spat in the teenager's face as his response, the next reaction was an obvious show of anger as the brute pulled back his arm to throw a punch at the little boy. Just as his fist collided with the boy's face, he stopped.

A moment ago, no one had been in the way. Now there was. Calmly sitting in a wheel chair was a woman, maybe in her late teens or early twenties. Her soft blonde hair resembled that of a yellow dandelion, tame and unmoving yet wild and dangerous like a naked flame. Her long, slender fingers were wrapped around the teenager's strained fist which she held inches away from her face. They were so close that she could pick up the sickening scent of alcohol and regurgitated food. Disgusting.

In a calm voice that hid her contempt, she spoke, "Please leave the boy alone."

"Who do you think you-"

His words were cut off with a pained grunt caused as the woman's grip on his fist, tightened. Despite her gentle looks, when he tried to pull away, he was unable to. His hand quivered as he gritted his teeth, trying to yank away from the girl's crushing strength. When he looked at her, she seemed to be putting no effort into keeping him at bay. The only trouble she seemed to have was with holding back.

The woman's smile, no longer calm and kind, was now fierce and demeaning. "I'll ask one last time; leave the boy alone." As she spoke, her grip on his hand slackened. There was a red tinge in her soft azure stare, glowing as they flashed dangerously in the dulled lighting.

Seeing this caused the teenager to immediately recoil from her touch, stumbling back several paces. The others, confused by their leader's reactions, released the child and stepped back. Although the followers could not make out the woman's features, their instincts warned them of an imminent danger. So, they simply shot the woman a hard stare before the too left.

Once they were gone, a sigh escaped May's lips as she placed a hand over her eyes. It wasn't a sigh of relief, but the type of sigh that one would release after exerting much effort. She needed to complete her Contract or else her powers may just fall out of her control. It had taken all the self she had not to let the overflowing powers within her to break the barricades that held them back. She could not assure anyone else's safety any more. It would be best if she finished off the boy as soon as possible. When her Contract went unpaid, she would be unable to control her powers the way she would like. It was quite troublesome. Though, with every drawback came an advantage. While her contract remained unpaid, she could use her powers an uncountable amount of times without the need to complete her contract by killing the next creature she saw. The only individual she need kill was the initial person she laid her eyes on after the earliest use of her contract. It was a helpful little tidbit she picked up during the Heaven's Gate War.

"Takara-san, are you okay?" Seiichi asked his savior worriedly as he grasped her arm. The woman had not spoken for several moments and he wondered that if by some chance, she had been injured.

The small hand caused the MI-6 agent to stiffen as dark thoughts of homicide flooded her mind. It seemed that her Contract had accepted the replacement; but she couldn't kill him. Not yet, not here. This was too public of a place to murder someone –especially with the frequent passersby. Seniors had taken their grandchildren to play on the monkey bars as they sat on the benches, watching in amusement as those screaming toddlers slide down plastic spirals and into sandy dirt.

'_Just strangle him, end his life while you can,'_ her inner voice echoed throughout her mind, its tone laced with lust for blood. Right now, her mental strain was still bearable, but she knew that it would soon over come her.

"I'm fine," she lied before continuing, "Seiichi-kun, do you need me to take you home?" May asked, masking her inner thoughts that darkened by the second.

'_It'll be fine, just slit his throat. MI-6 will just station me elsewhere'_

Seiichi didn't respond. Simply, he frowned at the thought of home and averted his gaze to the ground in disgust. Normally, for a preschooler, it would have come off as a cute pout, but what May saw was a look of absolute anger.

'_Pull out your knife and watch his blood flow.'_

Smiling kindly, the blonde haired woman ran a hand through the boy's golden locks, paying no heed to the murderous seed in the back of her mind that began to take root. In a warm, motherly tone, she said, "Why don't we get something good to eat?"

* * *

The person at the crepes stand was quite a nice young man. He must have been in his early twenties, with smooth raven that locks adorned his head and eyes, the never ending color of the sea. Although this may seem to be a random tangent of the blonde's, but while her time in the Syndicate, she had been trained to pick up the subtle walls that others held up around themselves to conceal whatever secrets they may contain. It was a good way to figure out if someone were an enemy or an ally. Due to this training, she could feel the difference about him, but it was nearly unnoticeable.

Maybe it was out of pity for the cripple, but he simply gave May and her rambunctious student free treats. Someone who was that pleasant and yet hid secrets and kept others away couldn't possibly be real. Or was she just looking into things too much? Because of the treat, she felt obliged to ask his name. When asked, he answered in a simply manner and a kind smile.

Sheng Shun Li.

A Chinese name? He must be a foreigner. That would have explained the detached, out of place feeling the MI-6 agent sensed. After that, she brushed the instinctive feelings off.

Sitting by the fountain, May watched as the pigeons pecked at the loose crumbs that Seiichi tossed to the ground. She waited patiently for the boy to speak of his troubles as she fended off her murderous thoughts. For he was but a child, she did not have to wait long.

"My parents are getting divorced," he finally spoke, his voice no louder than a mere murmur as he stared at the paved ground.

So word in the teacher's lounge was right.

"And they're going to split me and my sister," he continued, his body shook noticeably as tears beginning to flow from his cloudy blue eyes.

'_Kill him, strangle him!' _her inner self spoke, demanding for the death of the boy.

"Is that why you ran?" May asked. Her voice was not filled with the kind of sympathy that she had learnt to fake over the years, but with genuine sadness. She was prone to such fluctuating emotions throughout the duration of her unpaid Contract.

The boy simply nodded as he wiped away his tears with a trembling hand.

'_Kill him, now!'_ Her mind's screams practically resounded in her mind, but they remained unheeded as she reached out for the boy. At first, he flinched but did not pull back any more and allowed the hug. To May, she felt awkward wrapping her arms around someone in a way that was not meant to kill or immobilize. To Seiichi, he felt strangely safe in the arms of his would-be murderer.

In a soft voice, a tone befitting that of a mother's, she spoke, "Seiichi-kun, I'm sure your parents are worried about you. Why don't I take you home?" When he shook his head, the MI-6 agent couldn't stop the frown that appeared on her features. "What do you think you're trying to accomplish by running? You're not going to stop your parents' divorce like this," she scolded, "In fact; I think you might just make things worse than they already are." May's harshness toned down and softened when she saw the upset look on Seiichi's face. "I know you love your family, Seiichi-kun. What would happen if you never saw them again?" she asked before she waited for the seven year old to realize where the conversation was heading to.

When it does, the sad smile on her face disappeared for a split second, replaced by some emotion that even she could not fully understand. It was loss. Before the emotion portrayed across her features could last longer than a quick flicker, she shook it off; but the faraway gaze remained as she spoke, "If anything were to suddenly happen to you, or the one you love, and you never had a chance to say good bye to, you will always regret it..." In a low voice, she said, "Let me take you home to your family. I'm sure they're all worried about you."

Although hesitant, the boy finally conceded as he stood. From the way his teacher spoke, she sounded as if it those words were caused by her own experience.

With a smile, May held out an inviting hand, "Come. Let's get you home."

* * *

Evening slowly turned to night when the crimson that streaked across the pink faded into a deep, hypnotic, midnight blue. The stars that hung above illuminated the heavens were strangely unaffected by the multicolored city lights below it: large, shopping complexes that stayed open for a full twenty-four hours, street lights, cars, buildings, screen-like billboards and skyscrapers that rose into the air were unnaturally blaring. If one were to stare long enough, one might go blind. The eco-friendly sunlight had been replaced by the neon colors that the night life brought.

There was hardly a soul on the bullet train, giving May and the boy much space to move about. Only, the little seven year old child was fast asleep, his head resting on the woman's lap. He was quite exhausted from the day's events. At the end of their section of the train sat an unconscious drunk who mumbled incoherent sentences. A half conscious businessman was at the other end, his suit all wrinkled and dirtied. When the automatic double doors slid open, in stepped a tall blonde foreigner dressed in a crisp and clean cream, satin suit.

November 11.

Refusing to let any sign of recognition cross her face, May kept herself calm, composed and indifferent as her coworker took a seat beside her. She did not even bother to glance up at him when he began to address her in a jovial tone. Unafraid of anyone overhearing him, they were all practically incapacitated anyway; he spoke "You know, I went through a lot of trouble to cover for you back at HQ."

Usually, her silence would end any conversation, but because November 11 was used to the silent treatment and air of cold disinterest, he continued, "I didn't know you had a nice side." To anyone who didn't know him better, his words have come off as an obnoxious teasing. Maybe it was due to his regular façade that they were unable to see through the true intent behind his words. They were unable to see the cheerlessness that hinted in his eyes, or the slight underlying pity in his tone.

"He's the substitute," she simply responded in her regular, blunt fashion as if that explained everything. It did, to her at least. To her, when it came to killing July or someone else the choice was clear. Whatever she felt for the other person did not matter, as long as July was unharmed.

"Then, why not kill him now and save yourself the trouble?" The MI-6 agent continued to prod his younger companion with questions. Questions to which the answers he knew, but understood little.

"I merely desire to let him see his family for the last time," the woman stated in her straightforward fashion, continuing to run a hand through the boy's golden locks with gentle, calming strokes.

November 11 couldn't help but raise a disbelieving brow at the Contractor's illogical statement. It seemed that with every second that passed while her Contract went unpaid, she became less and less like a Contractor and more human. Though, despite all this, he knew that she understood it would be easier to take out a runaway than a united family. With the help of the MI-6, she could easily make it so that the child would never be found.

Heaving a heavy sigh, the MI-6 agent shook his head as he said, "You really care for the child, don't you?"

As previously stated, it did not matter whether she cared or not. She understood what her priorities were. Humans are disposable, Dolls are not.

In a simple, nonchalant tone, May answered his question with one of her own, "Who knows?"

That was about the time their conversation ended, when the train arrived at their designated location. Gently shaking the sleepy boy awake, she pulled him to his feet, helping him step over the gap between the train and the awaiting platform.

Before she was out of range, November caught her wrist and spoke in a low voice, "Do you remember what I asked you that day?"

She did not have time to respond when the blonde withdrew his touch as the doors shut. With a simple smile, he flicked his hand to the side once as a wave before he vanished, the train speeding off into the distance.

May did not have much time to ponder on her teammate's words for a curious, tired voice pulled her back to reality, asking who the strange man was. In an effortless tone, she spoke, "My boyfriend."

* * *

Laid in front of May was a wide spread of delicacies that could make anyone's mouth water: tuna and salmon sashimi that were sliced in perfectly even strips, bite sized onigiri and sushi rolls with multiple fillings, barbequed eel, baby octopi, fried squid tentacles, an assortment of steamed vegetables, miso soup and more rice. The scented smell of herbs and spices was heavenly.

After reuniting the boy and his family, receiving multiple rounds of hugs and gracious 'thank you's, May was invited to stay for dinner as a meager thanks for bringing back their son.

"I am so sorry for all the trouble my son must have caused you, Takara-san," Seiichi's mother apologized for the umpteenth time that hour. If they were not sitting down to eat dinner, she might have gotten on her knees, along with her husband, to apologize as she had the first couple times. She was quite a plain but sociable lady, in her late thirties with short cropped black hair while her husband, soon to be ex, was also quite plain, with straight coffee colored locks. Where Seiichi got his blonde hair and blue eyes from, no one knew. Though, word in the teacher's lounge was that the mother once had a fleeting affair with a foreigner.

"It was no problem, Ichiba-san," May said, feigning humble embarrassment. She just wanted to kill the boy and get out of there as fast as she could. After all, the happy family aura unnerved her. How the parents conversed with their children who could not stop teasing and poking fun at each other reminded her too much of the family she once had; especially the young boy and his older sister. They were her reminders of a past she desperately sought to forget.

Still, despite being uncomfortable in such a happy home, the MI-6 agent, under the influence of her Contract, could not help but feel a small slither of tenderness that warmed the void where her heart should be. Because of this, she almost left without finishing what needed to be done. Almost.

The war that waged within her mind her felt like hours as she stood at the doorway, ready to leave now that morning was on its way, only lasted several seconds. In those few seconds, a single figure flashed through her mind, reminding May why she was there. The image was of a young boy, his body was painted over with his own blood while his eyes were glazed over, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. This visual representation sent a cold chill down her spine as her entire body tensed.

"Are you okay, Takara-san?" Mrs. Ichiba asked worriedly as May shut the front door, locking it. A hand slowly reached for her eyes before pressing against her forehead as if she were having a headache. Even without the help of a mirror, she could tell that her eyes were emanating a harsh red; a sign that she could no longer contain her powers for another moment.

Killing them was against everything she desired, but she had to.

"Takara-sa-" the woman couldn't even finish her sentence when the Contractor whipped about and grabbed her necklace. Her body glowed a faint blue as her powers caused the piece of jewelry to twist, contorting as if it had a life of its own into its own strangulating device. It was so sudden that Mrs. Ichiba had no time to let out a cry of terror when the piece of what was once soft metal and diamond turned into a ring of deadly spikes, penetrating her neck.

To be sure of her death, May ripped out the killing device and let the body slump to the ground, lifeless.

The remaining family members were absolutely petrified, their eyes wide in horror. This was all too surreal to be true. It had to be some sort of nightmare that they would wake up from. There was no way something like this could be happening to their family.

Using their terrified states to her disadvantage, the Contractor transformed the material into a long, slender throwing knife. Without a moment's hesitation, it found itself embedded in the head of the father.

Now, two were dead, a little girl in hysterics and a young boy still in shock.

Slowly, May turned the girl, refusing to let the hands of consciousness grip at her heart strings. As she advanced on the young one, who was now bawling her eyes out from fear and the loss of her parents, she paused for a second and gracefully stepped to the side in order to avoid a fatal stab in the back. Wincing slightly, she glanced down at the young boy who had the bravado to rip the knife out of his father's head and run it into her side. She could have easily avoided the attack, but the growing illogical part of her mind allowed the boy to wound her.

"Why?" he cried, stumbling back several paces till his back met with the wall.

The woman was silent and her expression, dark as she dislodged the blade from her side. Warm blood flowed out of her side, but she paid no heed to it. She shot the hysterical girl a side glance, noting that she was in too much of a distraught state to understand what was going on, let alone help. MI-6 shouldn't find much use in her; they might just erase a good portion of her memories and place her in an orphanage of some sort.

In a monotone voice, she forced those simple words out of her lips as she raised the bloodied weapon;

"I'm sorry."

* * *

"_Does being human apply to us Contractors as well?"_

That was the question November 11 asked four years ago. Although it was a simple question, it was enough to cause May to wonder. Even after the passing years, she would think back to the day when he said those words.

It was several months after she had been found by November 11 and April, alone and paralyzed due to the effects of Bai's powers. He had no reason to say that; especially not after she had murdered two of their subordinates in cold blood after they had to gall to question her authority. Because of this, she merely stared at him; confusion was evident on her features. It was not just because of the question, but because he hadn't spoken an unnecessary word to her after the day she had been found.

"Humans are truly terrible creatures," he spoke and May found it to be a true statement, thus, she remained silent. "After processing the word 'human' over and over, the only one true meaning that I can come up with is 'flawed'." That was true too, humans are defective. "Humans are flawed creatures; each with their own brand of weaknesses. They are one of the most flawed, imperfect, of all God's creations; greedy, selfish creatures with the need for self preservation that exceeds all logical expectations..." November 11's voice trailed off before he turned his full attention to May who simply stood on top the carcasses of her two subordinates, listening intently to his words. Finally, he asked, "So, does being human apply to us Contractors as well?"

The female MI-6 agent was silent for a moment, running through the question in her head to find a proper answer. When her lips parted, she replied, "Yes and no…" Now it was November's turn to wait for her explanation, "For every one of us was once human, unavoidable but true. We were pathetic, we were useless," she justified. "But the moment we became Contractors, we gave up everything that made us 'human'; our irrational thoughts, our ties to all that kept us bound and our emotions. They made us weak..." Her words trailed off before bitterness entered her being as she continued to speak; "Now we are strong. We don't need anything that made us _human_, nor do we need _comrades_. We do not need trust, because sooner or later, we'll find ourselves left behind. Alone."

Surprising enough, this response caused an amused smile to find its way to November 11's lips. He hadn't expected her to make an example of her past experiences with humans.

There was a moment of silence between the two before he finally spoke in a nonchalant tone, "I don't expect you to trust me, nor do I expect you to be my comrade either." The man allowed another pregnant pause before continuing, "But for our missions here on out, you _will_ have my back and I will have yours."

May furrowed her brows in perplexity as he held out his hand for hers to take. He sure was a strange man.

"Now come," he said calmly as he waited for her to take his hand.

After the incident at Heaven's gate where she had been accused of betraying the one person she sought to protect before she herself was betrayed, May had refused to trust anyone else. But for some strange reason, the way he spoke to her, a Contractor to another, had caused a small fracture in the ice that protected her from the outside world.

Although hesitating, she accepted the hand of fellowship.

* * *

**Robbery Gone Wrong or Family Massacre?**

_Should families be on the lookout for a viable threat to their safety? The answer 'yes' is quite high._

_Two nights ago, the Ichiba family consisting Kato Ichiba (41), Shizue Ichiba (34) and Seiichi Ichiba (7) were murdered in their own home. There were no survivors. After much investigation, the police department called it a robbery gone wrong. When the father of the family resisted and fought back, it seemed that the robber panicked. With a gun in hand, there were no survivors. _

_Police are currently looking for the man suspected of the murder-_

"What're you looking at?" November 11 asked curiously, peeping over May's shoulder to get a better of the day's headlines. Only, she simply folded the newspaper and tucked it under her desk. The two were back at MI-6 headquarters enjoying their early morning of solitude. April was outside drinking some beer, enjoying the sunrise while July had dozed off in a chair beside her.

"Nothing that concerns you," responded May in her cold nature. Although the emotions she had felt the night she murdered her family was replaced with a chilling numbness, the Contractor could still feel a slight amount of remorse that poked at her pieces of consciousness. It seemed that the MI-6 really was good with their cover up stories and control over the media. Because Seiichi's older sister had been spared, they seem to have erased her from the memories of everyone that knew her. She no longer existed, but maybe, that was for the better.

November glanced at his fellow teammate for a moment before rolling his shoulders. Holding out a file in front of the girl he spoke, "You have a new mission."

**

* * *

**

A/N:

November and May are dating? They are not! It was just their cover while they stayed in that area because they were usually seen together. But because of how they sometimes act around each other, November considers them a (unofficial) couple.

I felt bad for killing of so many innocent people, but this is the Darker than Black Universe. A lot of awesome people ended up dying anyway (personally, I was really upset when November died), so I hope you readers understand. .

_**BUT!**_ There's good news! Li will finally make his appearance in the next chapter!

_So please, for the sake that is all good and holy (Or evil and depressing)..._

_Review! ^^_

_Characters just love feedback from their readers to know what should be improved._

_**Once again, the Characters from Darker than BLACK are wishing you a very Merry Christmas from the heart!**_

* * *

Once again, I'd like to repeat. I have found an amazing picture that I found on . It looks a lot like how **May's original form** is like.

Just go to deviantart, type in **'Asuka111', **Then look for** 'A lady in black' **

This is to find the original form of May before she transformed her looks into a blonde (She'll turn back to her natural form soon)

Also, to find out how she looked like during the Hell's Gate war, look through **Asuka111's gallery** (click the **'illustration'** folder) and find '**Turbulence**'.

Her art's uncannily close to how I pictured May.

* * *

Me:

The bribes/gift for reviews are-

_1. A date and kiss from which ever character of your choice! ^^_

_2. Something that belongs to one of the characters in this story!_

_3. Having the characters throw you a party!_

_4. Get a character to dress up! (You know you want to)_

**November 11:** We're going on dates now?

**May:** Apparently... What's the writer thinking?

**April:** Well I hope we get a party. With some booze.

**Mao:** Well, I know who's going to get the most requests. *everyone looks at Li/Hei*

**Li:** What'd I do?

**Huang:** I never signed up for this crap.

**Yin:** Too late.

**Kirihara:** Could I just skip-

**Mayu Otsuka:** Now why would we let you do that? We still need to get you in a Christmas Clause dress.

**Amber**: Will we ever get an appearance in this story?

**Pai**: I do recall that we appeared in chapter one.

**July:** Merry Christmas everyone, and please review.


	7. Chapter 7

**Bittersweet**

_**Chapter 7:**__ Natural_

**By:** _Crimson Essence_

* * *

**A/N:** After months and months of a combination of the diseases called 'writer's block' and procrastination, here is chapter 7! ^^ And just so you know, May 19th is my birthday, which is today, so...

* * *

Standing casually by the automatic doors of a bullet train, May glanced out the transparent glass to take in the sight of the blurred scenery. With human bodies packed together like a can of sardines, she kept a firm hand on the elongated handle of her suitcase in case a curious thief might decide to take a peek in it. If all she had in the bag was the usual clothes or money, losing it would not be much of a problem. MI-6 would simply supply her with more. However, there were no clothes or a regular person's necessities –hers were already at her new residence. Instead, they kept the documents pertaining to her new mission, her bionic suit and weapons. Due to the fact that MI-6 had agents working undercover all over the place, passing by security was not a hassle. Even if they tried to arrest her, she had documents to prove legitimacy.

The agent glanced at the faded image reflected in the train's glass. No longer was she greeted by a sea of soft gold that used to flow down her shoulders in gentle curls, or the slightly rounded and kinder features that made her physically appealing to children. Shizue Takara was no more. The life of her alias no longer existed on the earth or in the memories of those who once knew her. In her place was Kuramiko Fujita; an aspiring University student with long, jet black tresses and sharper features that depicted a more serious and responsible woman. The only similarity that linked the two personas were her two emotionless sapphire blue eyes. Those never changed.

Her power, molecular transmutation, had been utilized on countless missions to modify her outward appearance as well as the intricate structures of objects around her. Whether it was to alter a spoon into a fork or coal to diamond, the price paid was the same. Only if another Contractor had the power to nullify hers would she return to her original state. For each new area that she was assigned to, a new face would appear. Nevertheless, this particular face was important to her, a Contractor, for it was her original.

It was not due to nostalgia that she chose the appearance –or so she says—but because it was only fitting. After all, the primary goal of her mission was to find and capture the one who had left a void in her years ago. BK-201.

Her jaw clenched and her knuckles paled when she recalled the handicap which was forced on her to prevent her from attacking on sight.

* * *

**The day before...**

"_The higher ups didn't want to assign this task to you due to your... Ties with the target, but we've lost enough agents and you seem to be the only free agent that could actually handle the situation," November 11 told May as he handed her the mission papers. "The target is to be caught _alive_, but knowing you, you'll kill him the second you get the chance."_

_Knowing who her target was, May simply kept silent for there was truth in his words, thus allowing him to continue. _

"_That is why the guys at HQ have decided to make you forget the target's face."_

_Forget Hei's face? Why in the world would she _let_ them do that?_

_Understanding the woman's disbelief, the male shrugged his shoulders as he said, "It's stupid, yes, but it's the only way you won't kill him on sight."_

_Leaning against the wall behind her, May clenched and unclenched her fists to calm herself –a habitual act that usually prevented her from a hissy fit. "If I can't identify him, then how will I find him?" she demanded rather pointedly._

_Her words caused an amused smirk to cross the blonde's features as he spoke, "you won't."_

_To silence the agent's angry protests, he was quick to press his lips against her. Now that shut her up._

_When he pulled back, November 11 winked mischievously as he spoke, "He'll find you."_

* * *

'_What the hell was that for?'_ May wondered angrily as her brows knitted together in irritation. November 11 deserved the barrage of fists that followed his promiscuous actions. The light flush in her cheeks was quick to fade as her stern frown returned. Each time she tried to remember Hei's face –an image which she had burnt into her mind—all she saw was a haze that slightly resembled a man with black hair and two hollowed eyes the color of night.

"Next stop, Harajuku Station," announced a female voice over the train's intercom.

Releasing a sigh, May glanced to the silent boy that stood beside her and gently placed a hand on his head. When the boy glanced up at her, May simply shook her head. "It's nothing." That was a lie. In all actuality, she was worried. Why did November 11 place July in her care and not April's? That made little sense unless it was so that his presence would keep her from taking matters into her own hands.

Also, what did he mean by 'he'll find you'?

Now that was worrisome.

* * *

"Hei, you've got a new assignment." The gruff mutter came from a well rounded man who donned an old trench coat. An unlit cigar was clenched between his teeth seeing that his current location forbade smoking. He still smelled of cigarette smoke though.

The man who responded to that name, made an attempt not to scrunch his nose in disdain. After all, he hated the stench since it did remind him too much of November 11. Wondering why they were conversing in broad daylight at his favorite ramen store, Hei spoke up, "What is it?" What could possibly be so important that he had been interrupted during his meal?

Huang smirked. "It seems that one of guys picked this up from an MI-6 agent," he said, handing Hei a crumpled envelope with a light stain of blood. The crimson stains were probably the only remnant of the MI-6 agent the information was extracted from. "Got some pretty interesting stuff," he added, hiding the smug tone with a fixed scowl.

When the Syndicate agent tore open the top, he pulled out several papers and a picture of a woman.

Although the mission order should have been his first priority, Hei's gaze was drawn to the image of that woman. It was as if there was a sort of magnetic pull, gently tugging at the strings of his attention. Sure the woman on the paper had rather attractive features, but she was not as exotic as several other women he had met in the past. Still, he could not help but marvel at the inky tresses that flowed past her shoulders, framing her pale, melancholic features. This, however, was not what drew him in the most. It was her eyes; those striking, electric blue eyes that held little emotion. Despite the slightly lift at the corners of her lips, she was like a hollow shell of a human being.

She was hauntingly beautiful.

Oddly enough, this beauty caused his mind to wander even farther to another women he had met not too long ago. Plowing through several memories, Hei recalled the face with exactness. Shizue Takara, was it not?

It was only after Huang released an irritated grunt that Hei snapped out of his trance.

Seeing as how BK-201 was not as focused as he usually was, the older man began to hand out the orders. Though, he was sure to keep his voice low. "The name's Kuramiko Fujita. The rest of her info's in that file." Scratching at the stubble on his chin, the man continued, "In a nutshell, it's your job to extract the information she has about the Heaven's Gate that's suppressed by her subconscious."

Another information extraction? The Black Reaper forced back the eye roll that threatened to show. He had completed a similar mission just last week.

Though, the fact that the target was under the watch of the MI-6 promised to make this task somewhat interesting. If this mission did involve the opposing side's agents, he was sure to have more than a few run-ins with November 11, April and hopefully, the user of that bionic suit. The pilot of that machine commanded powers that were similar to one he was once familiar with. He hoped that he would one day be able to unmask that Contractor in a fight. Maybe that would put his mind at ease when he proves that the woman behind the mask was not _her_. If so, he would most definitely be in such a good mood he might spare the woman.

Pulling his mind out of the gutter, the Syndicate agent tuned back into the conversation between Huang and a talking cat; Mao.

"...make sure he doesn't get a soft spot for the girl, or else there'll be problems when the MI-6 starts to show up," Huang spoke in his rough voice, making sure that his subordinate listened.

Hei winced visibly at the sharp reminder as if he had received a tight slap across the face. It had been no later than a week ago when he had stolen from a cripple. Something he still felt minutely guilty for. However, that was but a mere damper to his mood. For over a month prior to that event, was spent watching over a family that was affiliated with the MI-6. In that time, he had not realized how attached he had become to that family of four. Even though he was one of the Syndicate's top agents, it was obvious that the slaughter of that family would unavoidably affect his performance on his next mission.

He should not have allowed their insignificant lives affect his better judgment. Why did he? Was it because the children had an uncanny semblance to people from his past? Were those fleeting emotions and scarring memories resurfacing after the years?

Was it a sign of things to come?

He hoped not.

* * *

With a suit case in one hand and a firm grip on the Doll's delicate hand, May and the child came to a split in the road. Whilst meandering down the winding backstreets of Harajuku, she would often stop, release July's hand, pull out a map from her pocket and attempt to decode her coordinates. This time, the fact that she understood not which route was to be taken caused a frown to rest on her lips. Frustrated by the strange symbols and upside down kanji, the MI-6 agent groaned inwardly. She was beginning to regret not taking November 11's offer to drive her to her destination.

In her moment of annoyance, she nearly missed seeing the young boy start to walk down one of the roads. When she did notice, he was already turning another corner.

"July? Where are you going?" May inquired as she caught up with the blonde haired boy within a few seconds.

With a blank demeanor, July answered, "It's upside down..."

May paused for a moment, glanced at the _upside down _kanji and swore.

Unlike the usual silence that often occurred between the two, this included an awkward twist. It was as if July was in the midst of a profound thought. Although there was no more than a minuscule difference from the way he carried himself, May noticed.

Releasing a sigh, she knew that he would not speak unless spoken to. "What's wrong?"

Another moment passed away before July parted his lips to form a question. "Why didn't you kill me?"

The question had caught the Contractor off guard. She never thought that a Doll would actually think about things like that. She always figured they were more of a come and go sort of species. They weren't_ 'programmed'_ to think that way, were they?

The only sign of the surprise she felt was portrayed in the form of a raised brow. She had no difficulty at composing herself as she answered honestly, "You're important to me." She had no other reason than that, but her own words caused a bizarre state of confusion to befall her. _Important_ to her? Was that word even in a Contractor's vocabulary?

A normal Doll would have left things at that; but July did not. "He saw you as important, but you killed him."

_He_ was Seiichi Ichiba – a younger lookalike version of July whom May held a strong fondness for. However, that fondness was not enough to save him from her Contract.

May paused in mid step, a small frown tugged at the corner of her lips as she placed a hand on July's shoulder in order to turn him to face her. Lowering her body on one knee till she could look him squarely in the eyes, she spoke in a stern voice, "July, I would kill a thousand people who saw me as important if it meant to keep you by my side for a second longer." When she spoke, she actually sounded relatively sincere.

Her words seemed to have opened more doors of confusion for the boy. "Why?" he asked deadpanned. Although his face forbade the bewilderment he felt from showing, it was there.

That single word had caused a smile curled its way to her lips. Standing once more, May shrugged her shoulders and spoke coolly, "I guess I'm just selfish." When she spoke, it was as if she took pride in that fact.

"_That's not something you should be proud of, May,"_ an amused voice chuckled; provoking a scowl to replace the proud smirk.

"Oh shut up November 11," the agent snapped at the voice that emanated from her earpiece. When she proceeded to mumble a profanity under her breath to describe the one on the receiving end, the individual let out a soft laugh. An annoyed scowl crossed her features. Apparently, the nuisance had heard everything she had said. After an hour of absolute silence on his end of the line, she had thought him to have left or taken a nap. It seemed that that was not the case.

"_Who knew the almighty CX-013 had no sense of direction?"_ November teased in a bemused tone.

"I do have a sense of direction. I just choose not to use it," the agent answered bluntly as she continued to follow July's lead.

"_Selfish _and_ dishonest." _The man laughed.

As the banter continued for the next ten minutes, May was sure to keep her voice low in a case a random passer were to overhear her and think her crazy.

The witty bickering only ended when May reached the top loft of her assigned apartment –brought on by April's entrance into the communications room to pull the blonde out for a mission.

With the distinct cut off from November 11's patronizing voice, May was finally rid of the pest.

Sliding her key card through its designated slot, May unlocked her front door, dragged her belongings in the space with July lagging behind. Inside the room, the spaciousness gave off a feeling of emptiness. The abode, although beautiful, lacked the inviting feel that a home normally possessed. The black leather furniture, professionally designed to match everything else gave off a uniform feel. It was like an empty shell, just as she was.

The Mi-6 nodded her head in satisfaction as she set her luggage in the center of the living room and dropped her exhausted body on to the firm leather L shaped sofa. Although it was just midday, with all that had occurred, a rest was necessary to rejuvenate her mind and body. Anyway, it was not as if she was required to proceed with her mission right away. If anyone stated as such, she would have made the excuse 'a nap never killed anyone' even though the Heaven's Gate War in South America contradicted that statement in every way.

"July, go unpack okay?" she said, stifling a yawn with her hand. She was much too lethargic to do any unpacking of her own. "Also, get some rest once you're done."

The Doll that hovered beside her in silence simply nodded once and followed through with the orders wordlessly.

Satisfied with that being taken care of, May –unable to keep her eyes open a second longer—allowed herself the luxury of dozing off.

* * *

Throughout the drive downtown, there was a nagging suspicion at the back of November 11's mind that he had forgotten to tell May. "Mustn't be important I guess..." he vocalized his thoughts as he glanced out the window at random pedestrians, wondering how much trouble he would get into if he were to drive on the sidewalk.

April, who was still a little put out that November 11 prohibited her from bringing alcoholic beverages into his new car, looked curiously at the man. "November, you did tell May about her cover job, right?"

Silence.

"_Damn_..."

* * *

Ding Dong... _Ding Dong_...

The sudden ring of the doorbell jolted May from her sleep, nearly causing her heart to skip a beat. Groaning, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Who could it be? An unplanned 'welcome to the neighborhood' visit?

With her mind still in a fog, the drowsy female rolled to her side, hoping that the visitor would just go away. Sadly, she had forgotten she was on a sofa and not a bed.

_Thud!_

Cursing under her breath once more, May decided that she might as well answer the door since she was wide awake now.

_Ding Dong..._

Straightening the tangles out of her hair with her fingers, the MI-6 agent glanced about the room to make sure that July was fast asleep in the bedroom before she answered the door.

"Yes...?" her voice trailed off when she took in the view in front of her.

If she was not a Contractor with little hormonal interest in men, her jaw might have just hit the floor in that second. Still, even as a Contractor she had to admit to one thing. The man at the door way was a hunk.

"Hello there," he greeted with a flawless smile. "You must be Kuramiko Fujita. I was told you pick you up."

When the moment passed away in uncomfortable quiet –May blinking in silent confusion—the gorgeous man with jet black hair and azure eyes began to stutter when he realized a mistake in his introduction.

"I'm sorry," he apologized fervently. "My name is Sheng Shun Li. Your new coworker," he added hastily.

'_Coworker? Why was I not informed of this?' May_ thought, taken back by the news. However, the shock was quick to mold into silent anger directed at a particular agent.

'_November 11...'_

Luckily the rage she felt and the methods of torture on which she was planning to inflict on the said agent was not portrayed on her features.

Effortlessly, a gracious smile crossed her face. "It's nice to meet you, Li-san." He's cute. Too bad she couldn't trust him. "Though, is it company policy for new workers to be picked up?"

Li smiled kindly, almost apologetic yet amused by her words. Shaking his head he said, "Not unless the new worker is over three hours late."

'_Oh damn...'_

* * *

Throughout the journey, May's thoughts often wandered to subjects such as what she should use to maul November 11 with when she saw him again –or something along those lines. While those ideas rolled through her head, Li continued to assure her that her job was safe. The boss would understand that the trip exhausted her; though she would have to work overtime or have her pay docked. Things of the sort happened all the time. After all, she was only _human_.

She hid the smirk with a curt nod. If only he knew.

Just as the two neared the main streets, Li was quick to avert May towards the back alleys. "It's faster to get to the dressing rooms since they're in the back," he assured her with a smile. The girl merely nodded in compliance and returned the smile. She wasn't worried. If he tried anything funny, she'd kill him without a second thought.

The second she stepped through the back doors, chaos was amuck with all sorts of miscellaneous items flying back and forth. Amongst which were: dresses, shoes, teacups, saucers and even a glass table. Actual words were barely audible for they were but a mesh of incomprehensible hums. When, the MI-6 agent tossed Li a stunned look, she was taken back when the aforementioned man was grabbed by two, quite handsome young men, and dragged away from her.

'_What the-'_

Time was of the essence. Sadly it eluded May when she too was grabbed roughly by the shoulders, spun about, a bundle of clothes shoved into her arms before she herself was stuffed into the dressing rooms.

"Put that on quickly! You've got a lot of work to do!" barked a woman's voice as she slammed the changing room door shut. Obviously, May –who had been put through several military training regimens—followed through with the orders with an impulsive 'yes ma'am' prior to commencement. After all, she did not want to stay on her boss's bad side forever. Once done did May stare at her figure in the full length mirror, her mouth ajar and her widened eyes filled with horrification.

The image reflected in the mirror was not one she would ever wish on anyone else.

Staring back at her was a woman whose torso was covered with a black corset and matching ribbons over white satin that laced up her front. Attached to the top was a petite skirt with edges that barely brushed the center of her thighs, indecently flashing multiple layers of lace underneath. Despite the material meeting its minimum coverage requirements, only a small portion of the woman's legs were revealed for they were wrapped in thigh high socks –black. Fitted perfectly onto her feet were metal studded combat boots, decorated with silver buckles that reached her knees. Her unattached sleeves were like a second skin before flaring out in a similar fashion as her skirt the moment the fabric reached her elbows. In every way was she the semblance of a rogue Gothic Lolita.

May shifted uncomfortably as she tugged at the low hanging top –unhappy at the excessive amounts of cleavage. The studded leather choker that clung to her neck was little help in easing her agitation. Just what kind of job did that perverted November 11 sign her up for? If it was anything like she imagined, retribution would not be pretty.

'_I'll kill him,'_ she repeated as she swung open the changing room doors. When she returned to the chaotic fray, a military styled cap that matched her choker, was pressed onto her head.

"Now get out there and serve the guests at table one!" the same woman as before thrust a silver platter laden with confectionaries into May's arms. In the same hurried fashion, the confused MI-6 agent was pushed out the doors and into a whole new atmosphere. One that was, unlike behind the scenes, calm and unhurried in anyway.

The large area was decorated with marble walls and glossy tiles; all of which were polished to the point that May could actually make out her reflection in them. The air carried the faint scent of fresh cut roses and a mix of other aromas that complimented each other. Each rounded table was decorated with milk white cloth, extravagant treats, fine silverware and glass roses. May froze. At each table designed to fit the Victorian era, customers sat with the workers of the opposite gender. At some tables, it was a one on one session, while at others, the customers sat in groups to be entertained by a single employee. A few even had two workers for entertainment.

The male servers wore customized uniforms ranging from off shoulder tops and low hanging dress pants to conforming turtle necked tops and , baggy pants. Some were heavily, or lightly, adorned with chains, spikes, studs and the like. The women's uniforms were just as diverse, but like the men's, were related to European style. However, each article was made to accentuate each worker's physical appearances. In May's case, her selling point must have been her body –which explained the revealing clothes—and sharp facial features.

Unsure if the mortification she felt was present on her features when everything clicked, May's inner thoughts resounded in her head.

'_A Host Café?'_

When May felt the piercing stare of her boss against her back, she was quick on her feet as she made her way towards table one. Unfortunately, she was unable to keep a steady footing in 6 inch heels and stumbled forward. It was not like her to be a klutz, but today she was in a state of sorts. A soft squeak escaped her lips when her left foot met with the back of her right in her feeble attempt to regain balance. With that failed endeavor, she was airborne. At any given second, she could have easily changed the direction of her fall with an elegant, single handed front spring, but that would have called for unnecessary attention.

Seconds before her face collided with the floor, the tray of pastries were swiftly lifted from her hands and an arm wrapped securely around her waist halted her fall.

'_Who...?'_ Bewilderment befell her and eyes fluttered open.

"Are you alright Fujita-san?"

Li.

"I'm fine." Flustered, May removed herself from his touch and took several paces back. She just could not believe she had let something as embarrassing as that occur to her. Not only did she trip over her own feet, but she was actually rescued –by a rather dashing man no less. What did that make her? The damsel in distress? How embarrassing.

Glancing shyly from under her lashes, she made a quick inspection of Sheng Shun Li's attire.

The top of his head was covered by a military styled cap while his neck was loosely wrapped with a choker that gently rested on top of his collarbones; both of which were strikingly similar to May's. He, like several other male hosts, wore a conforming vest over a milk white, buttoned down shirt. This choice of attire gave the guests a glimpse at the well sculpted muscles that hid under the fabric. However, unlike the other male hosts, his body was the most impressive –as if he worked out on a daily basis. Luckily, for the sanity of the female population, his pants were not as conforming; though they did hang dangerously low around his hips. In short and for the lack of a better word, he was hot.

"Fujita-san, are you... okay?"

Snapping out of her runaway thoughts, May quickly composed her mind as she nodded fervently.

He simply smiled in response and he held out his hand for her to take. "Let me help you."

Although hesitant, May accepted the hand for she refused another slip up to occur again. Then, allowed him to escort her the last several steps to table one. His table.

"Eh, Li-kun, who is this _girl_?" questioned one of the three women that sat at his table, stressing on the last word as she flipped her onyx colored hair in disdain. Judging by how her shrewd features were caked with makeup, she must have been at least several years older than the aforementioned host.

The _girl_ would have shot the woman a dirty look for using such a tone, but held back knowing that she was now Kuramiko, not May. _May_ needed to take a back seat for the time being and hand over the reins to the new persona, _Kuramiko Fujita._

"My apologies Miss. This is Kuramiko Fujita. She's new here, so I decided to take her as my partner," he explained with a smiling face that no woman could possibly disagree with. Not even the boss whose irritation with the new worker's carelessness subsided the second Li glanced over for her approval. Then, placing a hand ontop of his partner's covered head he whispered, "Introduce yourself."

Jolting out of her confused state, May quickly bowed her head, "My name's Kuramiko Fujita. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintances."

With that introduction, Kuramiko was born.

* * *

_Clink clink! _

Empty teacups rattled softly against their delicate saucers as May stacked them precariously onto a platter. It was a miracle that the expensive floral China had not crashed down on her yet. Others wondered if she knew of the risks that would involve breaking the flimsy porcelain, but the MI-6 agent was confident with her mastery of heels and glided across the polished marble with ease. After several trips from end to end of the room, being sure to come off as graceful as a swan as she swerved around other treat servers, the woman had found her center of gravity.

"Are you sure you don't need help with that, Kuramiko-chan?" Li asked for the umpteenth time that night. His concern for her caused the girl to roll her eyes as a show of irritation and ignore him. Did he really think that she was so incapable? Tripped once and now he was treating her like she could not handle any task. Also, what was up with the informal honorific 'chan'? Was he trying to aggravate her? His 'big brother' feel reminded her too much of a character from a shoujo manga. For some unknown reason, the women he entertained found that appealing. She however, was too fond of it since a majority of his attention was spent on her –something that the customers adored.

May let out a sigh as she glanced out the blurred windows; taking in the sight of an overcast sky and rain. It had been such a nice day out she had not expected the need for an umbrella. _'Great,'_ she thought sarcastically, shoulders sagging. Now she had to walk home and get wet.

Or steal an umbrella.

It was only when Li bid the boss good night, after being handed the job to lock up for the day, did May realize that they were alone.

"I guess I'll be off now," she quickly said, avoiding his eyes as she headed towards the kitchen, balancing the tray of porcelain on the palm of her hand.

"Ah, please wait, Fujita-san." Li called out to the girl who had made a speedy escape to the back doors.

Fujita-san? What happened to 'chan'? Usually, she would have feigned deafness to his calls, if not for the slight problem at hand. His fingers were wrapped around her wrist.

Bowing his head in apology, not releasing his grip, Li spoke, "I'm really sorry for how I behaved Fujita-san. It's just, the boss told me I had to be more confident and open around the customers. Like a big brother." So that's it. "I'm really sorry I couldn't explain it to you sooner," he added remorsefully. It was as if he were apologizing for running over her dog or something that required a higher degree of remorse.

Smiling kindly, May simply shook her head, "it's fine Li-san. If it's your job, then you should follow through with it." This much she knew and understood perfectly. No matter what the costs were, completion of a given task was number one in her books.

She glanced at her wrist.

"Ah, I'm sorry Fujita-san! I don't know what came over me!" Li yelped as he quickly pulled his hand away, a light blush tinting his features. How cute. If she were a regular human being with uncontrollable hormones, she would have fallen for him on the spot.

May simply waved him off, signaling that no offense had been taken and no apology was required. Without another word, she pushed her way through the wooden double doors to the back room where all the dishes were to be washed by machine.

With deft movements, not a shred of energy was wasted as she lined the dish washer with teacups, saucers, bowls, plates and rags, smothered the insides of the machine with a bag of powdered soap (and several more cups for extra measure) before slamming the door shut. Once she was done punching in several symbols and numbers which seemed right, she proceeded to the changing rooms to get out of that dress which she deemed as god-awful.

Just as May removed her accessories and dress, her acute sense of hearing picked up the gentle brush of paper against the ground. Glancing over her shoulder, the MI-6 picked up the scrap that had fallen out of the folds of her clothes. When she unfurled the parchment, she was met with symbols that would have seemed just as it was to a normal person. A bunch of numbers. Luckily, as an MI-6 agent of her caliber, she knew better. They were code for another mission.

'_Who could've...?'_

Whilst she began to decipher the inscription, the scrape of leather sole against varnished wood could be heard headed in her direction before stopping outside the doors. Quickly, she squeezed into her simple pair of form fitting jeans and a thin halter top with a charcoal colored off shoulder sweater over. "Who's there?" she demanded, slipping the note into her flats, feet following after.

"It's just me, Li," the male host called back. Laughing softly he reminded her, "I can't lock up if you're still here."

That made sense. "I-I see," May stuttered, exiting the dressing rooms. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," she said, composing her features as she waved the man good bye.

* * *

So far, nothing from Kuramiko's actions had hinted on a single connection with the MI-6 agent. To Li, she was simply an everyday girl who lacked experience walking in heels. However, with the little information he had, he knew she was dangerous –or at least her knowledge pertaining to the Heaven's Gate Wars was. He had to be careful around her, preferably have her fall in love with him so that getting her to talk would be less problematic. At least he was sure that she was not an MI-6 agent. After all, how could she have been so ill prepared for her first day of field work? Furthermore, what could she possibly gain by working at such a location? The only reason he was here was on the basis that this was where she was going to work and a previous mission had required him to do so as well.

"Kuramiko-san, do you need a ride home? Or an umbrella?"

Another taxi pass by the waving girl who stood under the small awning that protected her from the downpour. There was no way she could hail a taxi if she were not on the curb.

His offer was not out of pity or from the goodness of his blackened heart that he was willing to provide shelter under his umbrella. Simply put, it was for the sake of his mission. "There won't be many taxis out at this time of night," he added before she could turn down the proposal. When she nodded in consent, Li disguised the satisfied smirk that threatened to curl on his lips with a nod. Then, pushing open his navy blue umbrella, the woman stood close and they ventured into the storm.

* * *

Talk was simple, few and far between –mainly to keep from an awkward silence that would come off as rude. Never had Li experienced such difficulty in obtaining information from a woman. Every time the conversation would so much as hint on causing some form of her life to be revealed, she would smoothly adjust the direction of the question to him or stray from the topic entirely with little difficulty. Women could be masters of words, Li knew that, but no woman was that reserved.

From twenty minutes of inconsistent conversation, the Black Reaper had only learnt the basics of Kuramiko Fujita. Her name, age –which was 19—and her hometown in Hokkaido. All of which were already stated in the profile which he had read. She on the other hand, had effortlessly found out that he was a foreign exchange student from China who has an older sister and his address; which he wondered how he let slip. She was sly, or at least, her subconscious was.

"So Li-san, do you often cook family recipes?" she asked tilting her head to the side with childlike curiosity.

"Yes I do actually," he said if he were stating fact. Great, another piece of information about him that she figured out.

With a soft laugh, she jokingly said, "maybe I should come over for some Chinese then."

Li simply laughed but did not answer; partially because he did not know what to say. In addition to that, a familiar black cat had caught his attention. Whatever the feline was there for, it had to be important if he were needed while he was with the target.

"I'm sorry Kuramiko-san. But this is where I have to leave you," he said, gesturing to his home in the opposite direction. "Oh, please take the umbrella," He hastily placed the rubber umbrella handle in her hands and bowed his head once.

"But-"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kuramiko-san!" Running out into the bitter rain, he did not forget his manners as he added a quick, "good night!" With that, he disappeared into the night.

Once out of sight, the persona of Kuramiko Fujita was dropped. Frowning, the woman turned and continued the last few minutes home alone—brushing off Li's strange behavior. She tilted the umbrella back only so much that she had a slight view of the grayed clouds and splits of light. Softly, she wondered.

"Now, who do I kill this time?"

* * *

**A/N:** Kanji used for May's new alias is 暗(Kura: dark/hidden) 美(Mi: beauty) 子[Ko: girl/child(used to feminize names)] I looked it up so it should be right... ~.~

I didn't think 'Mustn't' was a real word until I put it on spell check! Whoa! Isn't mustn't such a weird word?

I think the word sounds pretty awesome if you ask me...

Also, I do not own a dish washer; I do all the dishes by hand! So, I have no idea how it works. And apparently, neither does May. Yay consequences!

Ding dong! Like my sound effects? :p

Also, I don't think anyone's noticed, but in chapter 3, I described him as a twenty-one year old but in this chapter he's twenty-two. So let's just say he had his birthday in between chapters! Yes, yes, I am a horrible author!

Well, speaking of birthdays, today's mine (May 19) so, as a present, maybe you, being the lovely reader you are, should review your thoughts, questions and corrections.

So review please!

* * *

**P.s:** I am so sorry for this totally slow and uninteresting chapter! . It was a complete letdown, even for me! It was more of a filler to explain how May looks like, how her powers work, her home, work and involvement with Hei.

** ALSO!** The next chapter will have a darker twist, but a less Hei/Li involvement. I'll try to change that to make him appear more in the next chapter! So please keep all fingers and toes crossed! XD


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